Has the NBA passed MLB?

[redban]

I always thought that MLB was comfortably ahead of NBA.

But comparing the ratings for World Series and NBA Finals, it seems NBA has pulled ahead.

Thunder - Heat in 5 games averaged an 10.1 rating; Cardinals - Rangers in 7 games averaged a 10.0.

Since 2008, the only World Series to beat NBA Finals was 2009, when NY and Philly played (11.7 in 6 gms).

If you don't have NYY, NYM, BOS, PHI, LAD, or CHI, the World Series cannot pull ratings.

On the other hand, people are watching the NBA Finals regardless of who's playing. OKC and MIA are not big-market teams, though MIA has the biggest star in the game. OKC is one of the smallest markets in all sports, yet people tuned in to see them.

So has NBA topped MLB? Or do we need more years before we can make that call?

[Honus Wagner Rules]

The NBA's success is heavily driven by its star players. People watching the NBA finals weren't so much being attracted to Mia vs OKC but LeBron vs Kevin Durant. In baseball Miami is considered a "small market", yet the Miami Heat can sign three of the best players in the NBA at the same time to huge contracts? Can you imagine the Miami Marlins signing Joey Votto, Josh Hamilton, and Clayton Kersahw to huge contracts at the same time?

[TexAg]

The NBA's success is heavily driven by its star players. People watching the NBA finals weren't so much being attracted to Mia vs OKC but LeBron vs Kevin Durant.

and MLB just doesn't have stars pitted against each other in the same way. LeBron vs Durant is all game, every game. A star pitcher doesn't pitch every game or face star batters every at bat, and the same with star batters.

[RaysFan_98]

Miami not a big market? Lol Wut?

[chicagowhitesox1173]

The NBA's success is heavily driven by its star players. People watching the NBA finals weren't so much being attracted to Mia vs OKC but LeBron vs Kevin Durant. In baseball Miami is considered a "small market", yet the Miami Heat can sign three of the best players in the NBA at the same time to huge contracts? Can you imagine the Miami Marlins signing Joey Votto, Josh Hamilton, and Clayton Kersahw to huge contracts at the same time?

They still signed Jose Reyes, Mark Buehrle, Heath Bell and Ozzie Guillen and almost got Albert Pujols. They must have some money. Those guys aren't the stars as the ones you mentioned but they still went on a pretty big spending spree.

Course they will prob be broke in 3 years.

[redban]

Here are some relevant statistics:

NBA Finals averages:

2008 9.3
2009 8.4
2010 10.6
2011 10.2
2012 10.1

World Series averages:

2008 8.4
2009 11.7
2010 8.4
2011 10.0
2012 ????

Before 2008, the World Series has comfortably beat the NBA finals in every year (With the exception of 1997-1998, when Jordan was there and MLB was still limping from the strike). So NBA Finals outdrawing the World series is a new occurrence.

[chicagowhitesox1173]

I would still say MLB is a bigger sport over the NBA and a big reason is probably due to fantasy baseball. I rarely see anyone play fantasy basketball. I mean theres the big games in the NBA like Boston vs Philadelphia or Miami vs Chicago and you will have big ratings for those games but with fantasy baseball being as big as it is even a Marlins vs Astros game is watchable.

Football is clearly the biggest of em all and fantasy football is probably a big reason why it went number 1. I would say baseball is number 2 by a pretty wide margin over basketball.

[redban]

Miami not a big market? Lol Wut?

Miami was ranked 16th in NBA just 1 year ago:

http://www.sportsmediawatch.com/2011/03/nba-market-size-numbers-game/

It's not a small market like OKC or Utah, but it's not a big market like NY or LA neither.

The MLB equivalent might be the Toronto Blue Jays or the Detroit Tigers.

[UnderPressure]

Gotta agree with Honus Wagner. The NBA is a star-driven league. MLB is not.

Also, it's not just born-and-bred Americans that count in the ratings. The immigrants, too. Everyone knows basketball is the more popular sport around the world than baseball is. Although, any MLB team is more diverse than any NBA team. Not to be racist, but the NBA is dominated by blacks. While on an MLB team alone, you could see white, black, Hispanic, and Asian players.

[metfan13]

Not for me. Watched not 1 second of NBA playoffs.

[SHOELESSJOE3]

Gotta agree with Honus Wagner. The NBA is a star-driven league. MLB is not.

Also, it's not just born-and-bred Americans that count in the ratings. The immigrants, too. Everyone knows basketball is the more popular sport around the world than baseball is. Although, any MLB team is more diverse than any NBA team. Not to be racist, but the NBA is dominated by blacks. While on an MLB team alone, you could see white, black, Hispanic, and Asian players.

Thats because of the way both games are played, You can only watch the best ballplayer bat 4 or 5 times in a game. In basketball they can keep feeding the star the ball a great number of times, watch him perform over and over in a game.

Add to that, the NBA has some games in post season almost like a mini season, interest building up over a longer period of time, till the final showdown.

[redban]

Gotta agree with Honus Wagner. The NBA is a star-driven league. MLB is not.

Also, it's not just born-and-bred Americans that count in the ratings. The immigrants, too. Everyone knows basketball is the more popular sport around the world than baseball is. Although, any MLB team is more diverse than any NBA team. Not to be racist, but the NBA is dominated by blacks. While on an MLB team alone, you could see white, black, Hispanic, and Asian players.

Blacks also dominate in NFL too:

NFL:

Black: 66%
White: 31%
Asian: 2%
Hispanic: 1%

NBA:

Black: 76%
White: 20%
Hispanic: 3%
Asian: 1%

MLB:

White: 60%
Hispanic: 29%
Black: 8%
Asian: 3%

http://www.chineseorjapanese.com/racial-breakdown-us-sports/

Of course, in NFL the players are covered in sorts of gear, so you don't see them much.

[Captain Cold Nose]

Not for me. Watched not 1 second of NBA playoffs.

Are you baseball-only?

[abolishthedh]

IMHO, the NBA is completely dependent upon ESPN. This is hypothetical of course, but if ESPN disappeared from cable, which league do you think would fare better over the next 5 to 10 years?

It seems that ESPN and the NBA believe that if you hype it up, people will follow. This is just my opinion, because I am very anti-ESPN these days. They don't seem to get baseball's appeal at all, measuring by how they cover games, cut short Baseball-Tonight and shove that program around the schedule... that would hijack the thread, however.

I can't say that the NBA has passed MLB, although it is very good to see that a league fares well when new teams and new stars become dominant. I am hoping that baseball and ESPN would take note of that part of the picture.

[dominik]

Gotta agree with Honus Wagner. The NBA is a star-driven league. MLB is not.

Also, it's not just born-and-bred Americans that count in the ratings. The immigrants, too. Everyone knows basketball is the more popular sport around the world than baseball is. Although, any MLB team is more diverse than any NBA team. Not to be racist, but the NBA is dominated by blacks. While on an MLB team alone, you could see white, black, Hispanic, and Asian players.

that's also why NBA babies them so much. they always make sure that the stars look good by giving them any free throw so defenders stay off them for more highlight dunks.

also they would never allow a guy like lebron or kobe getting caught for roids (even if guys like howard, lebron and even jordan had much more ridiculous bodies then even bonds and mcgwire). you have to give MLB credit for this. some of the biggest stars have been caught for roids. even star players get tossed when they missbehave. you can't say that off the NBA.