NBA Local Viewership Holds Steady Year-Over-Year After 12 Percent Drop In 2024-25

Detroit led all NBA franchises in streaming growth. The Pistons, led by Cade Cunningham's second consecutive All-Star selection and an Eastern Conference-best 60-22 record, drew a surge of digital viewers throughout the season. Streaming now accounts for 15 of total NBA local deliveries, up sharply from just 5 in 2023-24. The league recorded a 43 increase in unique streamers per game, with average minutes streamed climbing 37 versus the prior season. The gains offset continued erosion of traditional pay-TV subscribers. Bankruptcy court projections filed by Diamond Sports, predecessor to the now-dissolving Main Street Sports Group, forecast a 26 decline in linear TV subscribers by 2027 and a 47 drop in local distribution revenues during the same period. We're going to be seeing a great deal of movement and experimentation as Main Street winds down their business, said Craig Sloan, CEO of Playfly Sports, during a recent Zoom interview. There's a lot of upheaval in the space, but when you look back at the last 10 years of local audience deliveries, live sports haven't lost a step.