Last week, a report broke out that the NBA’s viewership has decreased 48% in the past 12 years. Since then, fans, analysts, and former players have been trying to diagnose the cause. Many claimed the product is no longer as fun as it used to be. Others pointed out how expensive it was to subscribe to multiple networks and streaming platforms to watch their team and other big franchises in action. Regardless of the reason, financial influencer Patrick Bet-David believes NBA commissioner Adam Silver should bear sole responsibility.
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On the PBD Podcast, he called out the veteran executive and claimed his decisions and ideas have led to the NBA’s downfall and caused viewership to crater. Bet-David said,
“They don’t respect you, Adam Silver. They don’t look at you as a commissioner… By the way, your legacy and your resume, when people look at the data, here’s what they’re going to say. Where was the NBA in 2014 when he took over and where’s the NBA today? Maybe the worst resume in the history of commissioners. Adam Silver, you may go down as the worst commissioner ever for your customers!”
The influencer noted the league’s current problems didn’t exist during David Stern’s tenure as NBA Commissioner. He claimed that the late executive spent three decades controlling every aspect of the product to ensure it was accessible to the fans and fun to watch.
Under Silver’s leadership, it’s the opposite. Bet-David wasn’t the only one to call out the commissioner for failing to address the league’s issues with reasonable solutions.
Colin Cowherd claims NBA doesn’t understand its fans’ needs
On an episode of The Herd, host Colin Cowherd also slammed Adam Silver. He claimed the advent of the NBA Cup showcased how disconnected the league’s top brass was from its demographic. He said,
“The NBA ratings are down 48% in the last 12 years and they have fallen off a cliff this year and Adam Silver’s solution is let’s make the courts brighter. Go ask the Democrats. Be warned, once you detach from regular people in America, you will pay a price.”
He also criticized Silver for failing to address the issues surrounding the All-Star game and load management that have been prevalent for nearly a decade, saying,
“And I like the NBA but the All-Star game is now embarrassing and I think load management is a shame on the league. It is a really bad look for a family of four to go to a game and Giannis doesn’t play or Embiid doesn’t play.”
Silver has tried hard to rectify the problems Cowherd flagged. He made the regular season more meaningful with the introduction of the NBA Cup. The commissioner also came up with a radical solution to the load management issue.
Starting last year, players were no longer eligible for individual awards if they played fewer than 65 regular season games. Not many stars were pleased about it, considering they have hefty bonuses tied to earning All-NBA nods and winning individual accolades.
NBA has announced a new format for the 2025 All-Star Game ⭐️ pic.twitter.com/ezqhP4PLjN
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) December 17, 2024
The NBA also changed the All-Star format to make it more competitive and intriguing for fans. To his credit, Silver hasn’t let any issue go unchecked. However, his solutions for those issues have been hit-and-miss. It remains to be seen whether the league’s viewership can bounce back in the coming years or continue to plummet.
