Ratings Crash for NBA, MLB After Protest-Filled Debuts

[mystery-ak]

Warner Todd Huston 2 Aug 2020

As the NBA and MLB return from their coronavirus-imposed hiatus, it appears TV viewers are not interested in what the increasingly woke leagues have to offer.

With both baseball and basketball draped in all sorts of Black Lives Matter and social justice symbolism for their opening games, a substantially smaller number of fans tuned-in to the rest of the week’s games.

According to Outkick.com, neither league did well.

As for the opening games, Outkick reported that the return of the NBA on TNT saw the following numbers:

Lakers-Clippers: 3.4 million
Pelicans-Jazz: 2.1 million

ESPN’s MLB return numbers were also underwhelming:

Yankees-Nationals: 4.0 million
Dodgers-Giants: 2.8 million

Outkick’s Ryan Glasspiegel added more ratings numbers on Twitter.

“To be fair since I compared MLB vs NBA return night 1, here is night 2,” (July 24) he wrote, adding:

MLB (last Friday, ESPN)
Mets-Braves (4p) – 922K
Brewers-Cubs(7p) – 1.0M
Angels-As (10p) – 797K

NBA (last night ESPN) (July 31)
Celtics-Bucks (6:30p) – 1.3M
Mavs-Rockets (9p)- 1.7M

The Athletic’s Ethan Strauss also noted that the numbers continued to fall off for MLB:

more
https://www.breitbart.com/sports/2020/08/02/ratings-crash-nba-mlb-after-protest-filled-debut/

[libertybele]

I'm glad to see it.   

[mystery-ak]

I'm glad to see it.   

Me too and I hope the sales of their merchandise plummets also!

[mountaineer]

Mr. M wanted to watch some of last night's games, just to root against a couple of teams he can't stand. Thankfully, they lost. LeBron was a big balding whiney baby. Same ol' same ol'.

[txradioguy]

Gotta love karma

[DB]

If they want to be politicians instead entertainers that's fine.

But not too many people are willing to pay to see politicians politic.

[Bigun]

Gotta love karma

 

[txradioguy]

I mean honestly...WTF did they think was going to happen?  Does the NBA and MLB honestly think the majority of Americans back this crap?

If they do then they've seriously miscalculated their audience and just how many find this disrespectful how towing to Marxist ideology is not something most Americans and their fan base will readily accept.

[corbe]

   For some of us whose ol lady is in rehab and all the bars are closed and who only have a fat weine dog and a neurotic cat for entertainment purposes, I will overlook all the BLM $hit and just try and enjoy the game for awhile at least. 
   The only alternative for me is p0rn.

[jmyrlefuller]

It doesn't help that people are sick and tired of being told to stay at home. So they're outside, away from their TV sets. It's August.

[corbe]

   Rockets just beat the Bucks (best record in the NBA).  Apparently Black guys that can shot matter (to me anyway). 

   

[catfish1957]

Too bad they forgot Green Bucks Matter. 

Crash and Burn with your BLM buddies.

[LegalAmerican]

Me too and I hope the sales of their merchandise plummets also!

 

[Cyber Liberty]

I'm glad to see it.   

So people don't like being brow-beaten, and prefer to watch sports to get away from the leftist bitching.  Who coulda guessed?

[Smokin Joe]

I mean honestly...WTF did they think was going to happen?  Does the NBA and MLB honestly think the majority of Americans back this crap?

If they do then they've seriously miscalculated their audience and just how many find this disrespectful how towing to Marxist ideology is not something most Americans and their fan base will readily accept.

People judge the world from inside their bubble. Some bubbles are bigger than others. But they don't realize the "Poor downtrodden basketball player with a huge contract" bit just doesn't play well with the $20 and under/hour crowd, nor for that matter, a lot of the people who have been supporting them. Start 'dissing' America, and few care to support that. Then NFL hasn't seen it hit yet, but it's coming.

[PeteS in CA]

I've never gotten into basketball, but the NBA, MLB, and NFL won't be watched by me, even casually. They hate the country that feeds them and its citizens, so my eyes and TV are not going to boost their ad ratings.

[LegalAmerican]

I've never gotten into basketball, but the NBA, MLB, and NFL won't be watched by me, even casually. They hate the country that feeds them and its citizens, so my eyes and TV are not going to boost their ad ratings.

 

[Bigun]

I've never gotten into basketball, but the NBA, MLB, and NFL won't be watched by me, even casually. They hate the country that feeds them and its citizens, so my eyes and TV are not going to boost their ad ratings.

And it is apparent that they are collectively too stupid to know not to sh*% in your own nest!

[Smokin Joe]

And it is apparent that they are collectively too stupid to know not to sh*% in your own nest!

Let 'em crap in their own mess kits. Suppertime is coming.

There are likely millions of people who perform far more important tasks every working day who make a pittance of what these whiny snobs do for throwing a ball around. Let them get a real job.

[Bigun]

Let 'em crap in their own mess kits. Suppertime is coming.

There are likely millions of people who perform far more important tasks every working day who make a pittance of what these whiny snobs do for throwing a ball around. Let them get a real job.

 

[goatprairie]

I started watching a Stanley Cup game over the weekend. It was between periods and sure enough, the announcers were showing clips of Dumba*s kneeling and the other players supporting him. Of course, the announcers were all on board with what happened.
And the NHL has issued a statement supporting BLM.
I then flipped the channel.

[Smokin Joe]

I started watching a Stanley Cup game over the weekend. It was between periods and sure enough, the announcers were showing clips of Dumba*s kneeling and the other players supporting him. Of course, the announcers were all on board with what happened.
And the NHL has issued a statement supporting BLM.
I then flipped the channel.

Just one more league NOT to watch.

[XenaLee]

It almost makes me wish I was a sports fan.... so I could voice my discontent by boycotting them.

Almost...

but not quite.

[Smokin Joe]

It almost makes me wish I was a sports fan.... so I could voice my discontent by boycotting them.

Almost...

but not quite.

Let's put it this way, it guarantees I won't be.

[Night Hides Not]

So people don't like being brow-beaten, and prefer to watch sports to get away from the leftist bitching.  Who coulda guessed?

I've been brow-beatened by my better half for over 30 years, doubly so during the past 4 months. The last thing I need is more of it from professional athletes, most of whom barely made it out of high school. When I was their age, say 25, I was running the supply operations for an Air Defense Artillery battalion in Germany, 10 years before the Wall came down.

I will issue this caveat, though. I don't know how the Gonzaga basketball team will respond in this hyper charged environment. I will likely cut them more slack, particularly our newest arrival, Jalen Suggs. Why, because he's the highest ranked recruit to ever sign with the Zags? Hardly, it's because he comes from Minnesota, and he'll be under pressure to respond to what's occurred there. He's also 18 YO, the same age as my youngest son, and I recall (faintly) what it's like to be that age.