The Nuggets posted the highest return (+123%) of all teams, even though RSN (Kroenke Sports-owned Altitude) continues to have distribution issues in the Denver market.Getty Images
While NBA National Network viewership was flat, regular season RSN viewership was up 8% from the 2022-23 season and the highest since 2018-2019. These gains come as several teams made significant changes to their team allocation this season following Diamond Sports Group’s bankruptcy. This measurement includes teams from 25 NBA markets (excluding the Raptors because their club is in Canada; the Hornets and Grizzlies also have games measured due to historically low local attendance). (These teams are excluded because they are not). Locally measured NBA teams also continue to be watched by younger viewers, with games up 13% year-over-year among viewers ages 12-17. In total, 17 teams made a profit this season and 10 lost (the balance is usually closer to 50/50 that season).
The reigning champion Nuggets posted the highest return (+123%) of all teams, even though RSN (Altitude, owned by Kroenke Sports) continues to have distribution issues in the Denver market. There has been an impasse between Altitude and Comcast for five seasons now, leaving an estimated 57% of Denver residents without access to Nuggets television coverage (dating back to September 2019).
One of the biggest surprises in RSN’s performance was the Two Wolves, who had a 111% jump in the Bally Sports North this season. The numbers even show NBA clubs are taking audience away from the Wild (the NHL club was down 14% in the Twin Cities this season).
This season after the RSN collapse, the Jazz and Suns made major distribution changes, choosing wireless options in Salt Lake City and Phoenix, respectively. With the move away from cable TV, Jazz’s “local” ratings rose by 39%. Through the partnership with AT&T Sportsnet, the Jazz expand their radio strategy with Sinclair to include coverage beyond Utah and all of Idaho and Montana, as well as parts of Oregon, Wyoming and Washington, providing total coverage. The range reached 6.3 million people. Last season, Jazz broadcasts were available to only 39% of his Utah households. Meanwhile, Sands (currently airing on Family/Gray TV in the US) rose 69%. Rounding out the top five were the Knicks, who were up 10% on MSG Networks.
Many clubs have challenges to address next season in order to bring back fans. The Trail Blazers had the steepest decline of any team, down 60% in Portland after losing star Damian Lillard in the offseason and beginning a rebuild. The Nets have struggled on the YES Network this season, with a 41% drop in numbers due to an inconsistent star that draws fans.
The Wizards have struggled on the court, dropping 37% this season, but there may be more to it than meets the eye. Officials told SBJ that a coding issue discovered late in the season could have seriously impacted viewers of NBA and NHL games on RSN, which is owned by Monumental Sports. It probably affects about 25% of the subscriber base through Verizon Fios). This can affect numbers from 20% to 50% in a given game. However, once the error was corrected, the Wizards finished the season on a strong note, with attendance increasing 29% from March to April. Monumental also provided fans with a new streaming platform (game numbers not included here, similar to ClipperVision, Jazz+, and Suns Live). It was also the first season that Monumental owned his RSN, which he purchased from NBC Sports, and the holding company made significant investments in production and other areas for the future.
The Bulls fell 17% despite making a late appearance in the play-in tournament. Similarly, the Warriors also fell 14% after failing to advance to the play-in tournament. But even with a 14% drop, the Warriors remained number one in the league in terms of local ratings.
