I watched for 5-10 minutes as guys stood around watching as other ran down the lane for uncontested dunks. It was stupid. Looked like a pregame layup line.
According to figures published by Sports Media Watch, the game Sunday (which aired on both TNT and TBS) averaged a combined 2.2 rating and 4.59 million viewers. That's a significant decline from the 2022 edition of the game, which averaged a 3.1 rating (a previous record low) and 6.28 million viewers. 2023's ratings dropped 29% from 2022, and viewership dropped 27%.
That's the biggest single-season decline for the All-Star Game since 2000 (the first since the 1998-1999 lockout), according to Sports Media Watch. This year's game also drew fewer viewers than the 2022 MLB All-Star Game (7.51 million) and the NFL's new Pro Bowl Games (6.28 million).
The game itself was, well, a modern All-Star game. A number of big name stars were hurt or left early, as always happens — This year it was Steph Curry, LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Giannis Antetokounmpo. The ASG is played midseason, so no one wants to go too hard and injure themselves in a game that literally doesn't matter. When LeBron went too hard on defense in the first half, he actually hurt himself and sat out the second half.
I think it's more accurate to say the rules favor the offense in today's game. 3 point shot, no traveling calls, no hand checks, less physical, foul calls favoring offense etc. The defenders themselves are better than they've ever been, more athletic, more switches, more positional versatility, way more ground to cover.
The AS game is an absolute abomination. It looks like warmups to a game or a practice, quarter speed, no intensity.
Why do they even play that game? Nobody even tries.
Do fans have to buy tickets to watch that nonsense?
the whole league is an abomination
I watched for 5-10 minutes as guys stood around watching as other ran down the lane for uncontested dunks. It was stupid. Looked like a pregame layup line.
According to figures published by Sports Media Watch, the game Sunday (which aired on both TNT and TBS) averaged a combined 2.2 rating and 4.59 million viewers. That's a significant decline from the 2022 edition of the game, which averaged a 3.1 rating (a previous record low) and 6.28 million viewers. 2023's ratings dropped 29% from 2022, and viewership dropped 27%.
That's the biggest single-season decline for the All-Star Game since 2000 (the first since the 1998-1999 lockout), according to Sports Media Watch. This year's game also drew fewer viewers than the 2022 MLB All-Star Game (7.51 million) and the NFL's new Pro Bowl Games (6.28 million).
The game itself was, well, a modern All-Star game. A number of big name stars were hurt or left early, as always happens — This year it was Steph Curry, LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Giannis Antetokounmpo. The ASG is played midseason, so no one wants to go too hard and injure themselves in a game that literally doesn't matter. When LeBron went too hard on defense in the first half, he actually hurt himself and sat out the second half.