A new media deal, looking at the future? But what if the future looks bleak? Although the NBA signed an 11-year, $76 billion TV rights deal with Disney, NBC, and Amazon this summer, they’ve faced a major dip in its viewership over the last decade. Ratings have plummeted significantly, with a steep 48% decline over the past 12 years, and this season alone, ESPN’s numbers are down 28%, according to Front Office Sports.

The downward trend has carried over into the Emirates NBA Cup too. Viewership for the tournament’s group play averaged 1.33 million viewers on ESPN and TNT, marking a steep 10% decrease from the previous year’s inaugural season. The two networks split the 14 nationally televised games, with TNT pulling in an average of 1.5 million viewers across its eight games, while ESPN averaged 1.16 million viewers for its six games. It’s a tough spot for the league, especially after such a massive broadcasting deal.

The NBA’s new 11-year deal ended up in a lawsuit filed by Warner Bros. (now settled) after the league chose to exclude them from its next TV contract. Instead, the NBA opted to partner with Disney’s ESPN, Amazon, and NBCUniversal. This decision marks a significant shift in how the NBA is structuring its broadcast relationships, and it appears to be causing some friction in the industry.

Shaquille O’Neal thinks the game is repetitive because of the three-point shot’s dominance. The NBA relies on marketing its stars to draw viewers. However, growing injury concerns create uncertainty, leaving fans unsure of who they’ll see on the court. This could be another reason too. But the real reason is best explained by Agent 00, a popular YouTuber.

“I’m gonna tell you what’s going to happen. NBA ratings are going to go so deep in the gutter, then, LeBron James is going to retire. It will be an absolute f—–g emergency… It will be at that moment that the NBA realizes they should’ve never signed the TV rights deal that split channels up… It is impossible to watch basketball as a basketball fan unless you purchase 10 different packages.”

The NBA offers plenty of ways to catch games, including NBA TV, ESPN, TNT, regional networks, and League Pass for out-of-market matchups. But this variety could cause problems down the road, especially once LeBron James (39), hangs it up. Agent 00 points out that the NBA has plenty of exciting storylines—rivalries, player connections, and drama— its next biggest storyline could very well be Bronny’s rise or even Luka Doncic and Co. finally winning it all- but these narratives will often get lost in the complicated TV setup.

Fans are not happy with Adam Silver and his decision to split the rights among different broadcasters.

Complicating the access to watch the NBA, fans are unhappy with Adam Silver: “I thought I was trippin. I can’t find any…”

One user tweeted, “Absolutely. Adam Silver always looking confused wondering why ratings are so low too.” This touches on the NBA Commissioner’s apparent confusion over declining viewership, which has become a noticeable issue in recent years. While Silver has expressed confidence in the league’s popularity and involving newer ideas (like the upcoming revamped All-Star Game), the truth is that ratings have indeed dropped significantly, and several factors contribute to this trend.

The reaction, “I thought I was trippin. I can’t find any games I want to watch & the NBA pass is a joke *laughing emoji*”, taps into a growing frustration among NBA fans regarding the complexities of the league’s broadcasting system and the rise in subscription-based services. With the NBA’s extensive media deal with networks like ESPN, and TNT, and streaming giants like Amazon, the distribution of games has become fragmented, making it harder for fans to access games easily.

Another fan said, “Two teams combined for 79 3pts last night. That’s the league is dying. Curry killed it,” points to the overwhelming dominance of the three-point shot in today’s NBA, which some feel has made the game less exciting and more predictable.

The Phoenix Suns and Utah Jazz game on December 14, 2024, where the teams combined for 44 made threes—22 each—exemplifies this trend. This shift towards long-range shooting has become increasingly visible, with the three-point shot now deeply ingrained in almost every team’s offensive strategy. Some would say that the game is ‘evolving’ but then, where’s the alternate strategy, and why is someone like Victor Wembanyama expected to master triples even though he’s a big man?

“TBH you need the NBA pass, ESPN and TNT but that’s way too many,” reacted one netizen. The increased number of networks involved doesn’t guarantee a better viewing experience. Instead, it makes it harder to track which games are on which platform and leads to fans having to subscribe to multiple services to avoid missing out. For many, this excessive fragmentation feels like a barrier to enjoying the sport without hassle, prompting complaints like the one above.

The more you complicate the accessibility, people turn more towards other ways to stream the NBA. “He’s not wrong, these ridiculous deals are why a lot of people often find free ways to stream these matches on unofficial sites,” said another user, reacting to Agent 00. This highlights a significant issue in the sports broadcasting world: the rise of piracy. The impact of these pirated streams is substantial. In fact, in a 2023 Oddspedia survey of 3,200 NFL fans, it was derived that 35% of those regular watchers view the game on pirated streams. We can only imagine that problem is across all popular sports, and it’s all gotten worse… So, do you have a solution to all this? Drop your thoughts below.