This past weekend, the NBA had its 2025 all-star festivities. Mac McClung won his third consecutive dunk contest and Tyler Herro won the 3-point competition.
On Sunday, the all-star game was played. In 2025, the league introduced a new bracket format. According to reports, there were five times more commercials and breaks than basketball being played. The all-star game felt like one giant ad for the NBA and its sponsors.
What can the NBA do moving forward to fix the all-star game?
The tournament was an excellent format, and TNT and the NBA ruined it pic.twitter.com/2dycn2kxRz
— Cameron Tabatabaie (@CTabatabaie) February 17, 2025
The breakdown of Sunday night’s all-star game is shocking. Two hours and 26 minutes of commercials and breaks were in the three-hour time window, leaving just 33 minutes and 41 seconds of actual basketball. In the league’s new all-star game format, two semi-final matchups would meet in the championship game. After each event, there was a musical performance or something else that delayed the all-star game.
It’s extremely difficult for the NBA to keep their fans engaged on Sunday night when a majority of the evening is ads and commercials. There were nearly five times as many commercials and ads as there was basketball. The NBA is a business and they have to keep all parties in mind. However, the league is sacrificing the quality of their product to make a few extra dollars.
In 2025, the bracket all-star game format was a success. We saw something similar a few years ago when the NBA introduced a target score in the all-star game. The product on the court was more competitive than in years past but fans were outraged with the amount of commercials and breaks. What will commissioner Adam Silver do to fix the all-star game for players and fans?
