In 1983, four years after its inception, local cable companies started paying ESPN five cents per subscriber. From that moment on, millions of American consumers could be relied upon to turn to and pay for the right to watch live sports on television.
That world, thanks to cord-cutting and streaming, is changing. But in sports, it’s not changing that fast. NFL ratings are up on TV for the second year in a row. Ratings for Monday night’s college football championship increased by 1 percent compared to last year.
Yet the NBA’s national ratings, despite perceived widespread anticipation after an action-packed free agency period, have dropped by 16 percent this season.