IST FINALS RATINGS - 5.7M PEAK Views - Most successful non Christmas game in 5 years+

[8Ball]

Ian Begley - "ESPN says the In-Season Tournament title game was most-watched regular-season non-Christmas Day game on any network in 5+ years. Audience peaked at 5,680,000 viewers for Lakers-Pacers game, network says."


So we had a bunch of haters whine about how "nobody cares" about the IST finals yet it was most watched non christmas regular season game in over half a decade. People cared. Haters cared. Fans cared.


If Boston was in the finals instead of Indiana I am sure ratings would have been even more.

[SouBeachTalents]

I mocked this idea since its inception, but you can't argue with the results, it absolutely worked for the league. I'll be interested to see if this was due to it simply being the inaugural one, and having LeBron/the Lakers involved, or if this will be a continuing trend for the league.

My guess would be that it will likely not see ratings like this again, and that interest will only dwindle as time goes on, but who knows, I was wrong about this at first, and this could end up being a success for the league long term.

[Axe]

You guys ask why? It's because the usual-hating fools can't help but watch him still. Well, it looks like they don't have much other choices anyway. :confusedshrug:

[sdot_thadon]

Seems like everyone who claimed they didn't watch it was lying.

[AlternativeAcc.]

Mattered to the players and fans. Legit title. LeBron has essentially added a ring and fmvp to his legacy.

[1987_Lakers]

Mattered to the players and fans. Legit title. LeBron has essentially added a ring and fmvp to his legacy.

:pimp:

[Nb1]

:pimp:

Of course people were gonna tune in to see if the greatest player of all time could win his 5th championship at almost 40.

Every single sports paper was covering this.

[ELITEpower23]

Of course people were gonna tune in to see if the greatest player of all time could win his 5th championship at almost 40.

Every single sports paper was covering this.

ANOTHER ONE :pimp:

2ez

[Kblaze8855]

It got better ratings than the entire 2013 Western Conference finals.

[3ba11]

How many caveats in the title?... "peak" views, "non-christmas" game, only 5 year window...

And Kblaze going back 10 years to try to find a meaningful series that it beats, and he failed at that

Am I the only one smart enough to see these things?..

Do you guys just lap up whatever you hear on TV?

Of course you do.. That's why you're surprised at everything that happens (see SouBeach's first post itt, "I was surprised"... Of course you were smh)

This thread shows that it wasn't a resounding success for an inaugural event and didn't blow anyone's socks off - no one cared about it this year and it will get less and less...

btw, people see that the champion didn't have to beat a single top 4 seed (55-75 combined record of opponents) and the tourney MVP was given to the wrong guy..

[dankok8]

Ratings were high because it's Lakers and Lebron. If the final was Pelicans vs. Pacers, ratings would be awful.

Also, the ratings were helped by it being the only game that day. If the league took any particular game and made it the only game of the day, the ratings would surely be higher just due to that factor.

[Kblaze8855]

And Kblaze going back 10 years to try to find a meaningful series that it beats, and he failed at that



just a funny random stat. It actually got more ratings than the first 31 playoff games ESPN and TNT aired last season on average. And last year’s playoffs had considerably better ratings than the year before.

[sdot_thadon]

How many caveats in the title?... "peak" views, "non-christmas" game, only 5 year window...

And Kblaze going back 10 years to try to find a meaningful series that it beats, and he failed at that

Am I the only one smart enough to see these things?..

Do you guys just lap up whatever you hear on TV?

Of course you do.. That's why you're surprised at everything that happens (see SouBeach's first post itt, "I was surprised"... Of course you were smh)

This thread shows that it wasn't a resounding success for an inaugural event and didn't blow anyone's socks off - no one cared about it this year and it will get less and less...

btw, people see that the champion didn't have to beat a single top 4 seed (55-75 combined record of opponents) and the tourney MVP was given to the wrong guy..

Boy the I-ron-ee is thiicck in this one.

3ball as much as people like you were hoping this thing would go away, it succeeded on pretty much all fronts. Interest, attendance, ratings and level of competition all went up across the board for this tournament. It's not going anywhere and they'll iron out any perceived kinks in the process. NBA fans gotta be the most self-loathing group in sports.....

[tontoz]

I think one change they need to make is more days between the last qualifying game and the first game in Vegas. That would allow more time for fans to book a trip.

[8Ball]

Ratings were high because it's Lakers and Lebron. If the final was Pelicans vs. Pacers, ratings would be awful.

Also, the ratings were helped by it being the only game that day. If the league took any particular game and made it the only game of the day, the ratings would surely be higher just due to that factor.


Large market + mega star drives ratings for big stakes games to the surprise of nobody.


Lakers and LeBron play every other day, how come those ratings aren't as good as the IST finals?

[8Ball]

Boy the I-ron-ee is thiicck in this one.

3ball as much as people like you were hoping this thing would go away, it succeeded on pretty much all fronts. Interest, attendance, ratings and level of competition all went up across the board for this tournament. It's not going anywhere and they'll iron out any perceived kinks in the process. NBA fans gotta be the most self-loathing group in sports.....

He's not NBA fan, he's a Jordan acolyte that goes around spewing bullshit.

[GimmeThat]

people tend to go bizark when immunity is on the line

[L.Kizzle]

Game should be in Hawaii or something. It's basically a home game for the teams close by in Cali and Phoenix.
That, or switch every season to somewhere with no team.

[bison]

Game should be in Hawaii or something. It's basically a home game for the teams close by in Cali and Phoenix.
That, or switch every season to somewhere with no team.

Hawaii is Lakers territory as well :pimp: For many years they held their training camps there.

[SouBeachTalents]

Game should be in Hawaii or something. It's basically a home game for the teams close by in Cali and Phoenix.
That, or switch every season to somewhere with no team.
Making an east coast team fly 11 hours to play a game seems completely unnecessary. They hold the Super Bowl in the continental U.S. even if that potentially favors one of the teams involved, I'm sure the IST can do the same.

[Kblaze8855]

I was just shocked Dolan didn’t give them the Sphere to use. An nba owner owns the flashiest arena on earth in the city they’re hosting an event and they don’t use it.

[sdot_thadon]

I was just shocked Dolan didn’t give them the Sphere to use. An nba owner owns the flashiest arena on earth in the city they’re hosting an event and they don’t use it.

Well he is Dolan after all

[8Ball]

I was just shocked Dolan didn’t give them the Sphere to use. An nba owner owns the flashiest arena on earth in the city they’re hosting an event and they don’t use it.

Dolan has a massive grudge with the league.


Did you see that letter he sent to board of governors about how nobody listens to anything he says?

[highwhey]

honestly it was more entertaining then the 23 finals itself bc that had to be the most boring finals ever.

[kawhileonard2]

Not good ratings. 2020 Finals was lowest and had more viewers ever https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NBA_Finals_television_ratings