Lakers TV viewership down 28% this year

[JohnMax]

http://www.latimes.com/sports/clippe...216-story.html

Nielsen ratings for the Lakers in the Los Angeles market were down double digits percentage-wise over their first 20 games versus the same period last season.

The Lakers averaged a 2.25 rating for those games on Time Warner Cable SportsNet, down 28% from the 3.14 at the start of last season.

The Lakers' ratings are near the historic low of 2.11 they averaged all of last season, the worst on record for local Lakers telecasts and a 54% drop from the 2012-13 season, when they averaged a 4.63.

The Lakers are in the third year of their 25-year, $5-billion contract with TWC.

[LAZERUSS]

Not like this comes as a shock.

[kuniva_dAMiGhTy]

Nobody wants to see Kobe chuck the Lakers out of games, or simply watching that roster in general. They're horrible. I still watch most of them because of downtime, and the fact I get them on my local feed along w/ Clipper games on Prime Ticket.

[pastis]

wait. cant be true. seriously. last year kobe didnt play, just gasol.

and now kobe is back.

[Done_And_Done]

Casual fans are very fickle and with a population as vast as LA's (with as many entertainment options) this comes as no surprise...

[Foster5k]

Upon being told that the Lakers TV viewership was down 28% this year, Kobe replied, "Those fans? F*** em! Now I see why we've lost so many games at home. These fans soft like Charmin!""

[SpanishACB]

did they REALLY think they would keep the audiences just with Kobe if Lakers lost contender status?

I mean, are there any quotes of this severe retardation or is it just media speculation all the way?

[gts]

Op Left some out...Same article...

The Clippers averaged a 1.24 on Prime Ticket, down 16% from the 1.47 they achieved early last season.

And they're having one of their best seasons ever... They were talking about this on the radio yesterday.... Clippers tickets sales are down too, more than the Lakers but that could be because Clipps raised their ticket prices and Clippers fans are a bit more thrifty...

[sportjames23]

Lakers TV viewership down 28% this year

About 10% less than Kobe's FG%.

[plowking]

About 10% less than Kobe's FG%.

Oooo kill em'.

Those numbers could meet by seasons end.

[I<3NBA]

but i thought they said the reason they kept Kobe and gave him that outrageous contract was so they could keep fans watching. i'm absolutely sure kobetards here told us Kobe's contract is absolutely justified because he brings fans to watch.

[jzek]

Who would want to see a geriatric Kobe play with 4 D-Leaguers though?

[IMObjective]

Op Left some out...Same article...

The Clippers averaged a 1.24 on Prime Ticket, down 16% from the 1.47 they achieved early last season.

And they're having one of their best seasons ever... They were talking about this on the radio yesterday.... Clippers tickets sales are down too, more than the Lakers but that could be because Clipps raised their ticket prices and Clippers fans are a bit more thrifty...

That's interesting, maybe the Lakers sucking is affecting the clippers also. When angelenos lose interest in the Lakers they lose interest in basketball period. How good the clippers are don't even matter.

I actually wish they would win one but am convinced they will never win in LA, they should move to Seattle.

[senelcoolidge]

Not surprising when a majority of the laker fans are bandwagoner's. If the team ever is good again in 10-15 years from now..they will pop up again.

[kuniva_dAMiGhTy]

Not surprising when a majority of the laker fans are bandwagoner's. If the team ever is good again in 10-15 years from now..they will pop up again.

Clippers viewership is down considerably too, as noted above.