Out of 30 NBA teams, the Houston Rockets rank at No. 21 in local television ratings via AT&T SportsNet Southwest, according to an analysis of game broadcast data through the 2022 All-Star break. This season’s ratings data was obtained by Street & Smith’s Sports Business Journal.
“In Houston, Rockets games on AT&T SportsNet have averaged a 1.01 rating,” John Ourand writes in the story. “This marks the team’s third straight decline, dropping 56% over that time.”
Houston’s 1.01 rating still came in ahead of Dallas (0.99), Atlanta (0.88), Detroit (0.87), Washington (0.87), Charlotte (0.84), Brooklyn (0.72), the Los Angeles Clippers (0.55), Orlando (0.27), and Denver (0.19).
The decline in Houston comes at a time in which ratings are on the rise in many other NBA markets. From Friday’s story:
Overall, regional sports networks are seeing a modest bounce-back nationally. According to the Nielsen Station Index, which measures local TV viewerships in Nielsen markets, combined NBA local viewership dropped from 1.411 million homes in 2015-16 to a low of 931,530 homes in 2020-21. That number has bounced back up over a million homes this season (1.028 million), and is up 5% from the same number of games last year.
The Golden State Warriors are poised to post the NBA’s highest local TV ratings this season for the fifth time in six years. SBJ has the numbers:https://t.co/Vb4bCKY9o2
— John Ourand (@Ourand_SBJ) February 25, 2022
The primary reason that Houston is an exception to the general upward trend is fairly easy to understand. Three years ago, the James Harden and Chris Paul-led Rockets were still one of the NBA’s best teams, and they were coming off the most successful season (by wins) in team history.
Since that time, the Rockets have seen their on-court results decline significantly, and the past two seasons have featured a rebuilding effort after Harden forced a trade away from Houston in January 2021.
To no surprise, going from one of the NBA’s best teams to one of its worst has taken a toll in terms of local viewership from non-diehard fans. The good news, however, is that even after two straight rebuilding seasons, the Rockets still rank in front of nine other franchises in TV ratings.
That would seem to offer hope that as soon as the results improve, Houston should easily regain its previous status as a ratings draw.
