How the NBA Finals Could Learn To Compete With The Super Bowl

Super Bowl XLIX ended in an especially controversial fashion, as the Patriots pulled out a 28-24 victory over the Seahawks. Much of the blame for the loss has been put on Pete Carrol, who questionably decided to pass on a 2nd and goal from the 1 as the Seahawks looked to have sealed victory. That pass, which was intercepted by Malcom Butler, ended what was a tightly contested and exciting game. The game attracted an all time high 114.5 million viewers, with that number jumping even higher to 120.8 million after 10 PM, when the game was reaching its conclusion. These numbers dwarf any other major American sports championship game. The 2014 NBA finals received an average of 15.5 million viewers over its 5 game series. While this was a modest increase from the previous year, the NBA's final game was watched by less than 20% of the amount of viewers that tuned in for the NFL's championship.

The NBA is fighting an uphill battle for ratings against the NFL. For one, football is undeniably the most popular sport in the United States. This article points out that of the 50 most watched sporting events of 2013, a whopping 92% were football games. That figure includes 35 regular season games and the 2013 AFC championship game drew 47.1 million alone. In fact, the 2014 NFL draft drew 4 million more viewers than two NBA playoff games that same year.

Realistically speaking, the NBA will never be able to bring in the immense viewership that the NFL does on a regular basis in the United States. However, making progress towards closing that gap is not out of the question. One way the NBA already has an advantage over the NFL is in the international market. Currently, the NBA is regularly telecasting its games in 38 countries. Basketball is by all means a world-wide popular sport, many consider it to be the second most popular following soccer. By reaching for more international viewers, the NBA can cover a market that the NFL cannot. Simply put, the domestic gap between the NFL and NBA is too much to overcome, but increasing interest in international markets could bring the two head to head.