NBA may be benefiting from "Super Teams"
In an era of so called “super teams” in the NBA, the opinion of most fans, outside Oakland and Houston, seems to paint a picture of the NBA of the last decade as an inferior product to the league’s history. I, like many, would like to see more parody in the NBA as opposed to the four consecutive finals showcasing the Cavs and Warriors. With so many negative opinions, surely the league is losing money and viewers and really hurting because of the top heavy talent, right?
The first super team goes back further than LeBron’s highly televised “The Decision”. Back in 2007, the first “Big 3” came together when Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen joined Paul Pierce with the Boston Celtics. Although they won the title in 2008, the collaboration wasn’t viewed as negatively as today’s super teams mainly because none of these big 3 was in the prime of their careers anymore. LeBron, Wade and Bosh joining forces during their best years and Kevin Durant signing with the team who had just broken the regular season record the previous year is a bit ridiculous.
Does this hurt the NBA though? You can make the case that ratings should be down with there really only being 2 or 3 contenders but the numbers show something different. In terms of viewers, this past season the NBA regular-season ratings hit a 4-year high. Nielsen measured an 8% increase in average total number of viewers for nation telecasts, the highest since the 2013-14 season. Every network saw increased ratings with ABC up 17 % and TNT up 13%. Even local regional sports networks benefited from the extra viewership with a 2.4 rating, a 4% increase from last year.
NBA revenues are up as well. In fact, the top 3 jersey sales last year are from these “super teams”. Steph Curry finished first, LeBron second and Kevin Durant third. You have to figure the LeBron Lakers jersey will be the top seller next year. Forbes has even concluded that this may have been the NBA’s most successful season since the league began in 1946 and show that NBA attendance has gone up for the fourth straight year.
Why is the NBA becoming so popular despite all the hate? Some suggest it’s the hate for the super teams that drives the ratings. Most fans are watching to see who the next team is to come out and take down the Warriors in the west or Cavs in the east. The intrigue of the rivalry between the Warriors and Cavs has also been a pushing force. Although we all want to see the underdog prevail, it is pretty amazing to have two teams reach the finals in four straight seasons, even if it gets annoying.