Ken Carman believes the NBA is pricing out its own fans. The 92.3 The Fan host says Cleveland Cavaliers viewers are feeling it most.
What We Know: Carman raised the issue Thursday on The Ken Carman & Anthony Lima Show. Specifically, he criticized a $119 cost to watch regular-season Cleveland Cavaliers games as part of team’s new multi-year agreement with DAZN. According to a recent survey, the Cavaliers ranked last in accessibility when it came to accessing games on television. Following the survey, Carman reacted saying the Cavs and the NBA could be wadding into some troubling waters.
What They Said: (All quotes via The Ken Carman & Anthony Lima Show):
Ken Carman questions why fans should pay more money to watch a devalued NBA regular season: “It’s a slow burn in the NBA. You’re telling me I have to pay $119 for a product you told me over and over and over again doesn’t matter. That’s regular season NBA basketball. We have spent the last decade plus watering the product down in the regular season. Now you’re paying $119 for it? Okay, so now I don’t want to pay $119 for it. Alright, so where am I supposed to find my Cavs coverage?”
Ken Carman says fans looking for Cleveland Cavaliers coverage today will cost them: “We talk about them [Cavaliers] on the fan. But again, if I can’t see it, am I really going to have a lot of opinions on it? Let me go further. You go to ESPN.com or anything like that. I guess I’ll read the recap. Except half of those are AI recaps, it seems. So, are you really even getting the full scope of things? Okay, let me get the full scope of things. Let me go to The Athletic. Well, I got to pay a subscription fee to the Athletic… But I think you have a lot of people are going, “man, am I just going to get nickel and dimed over everything here?”
Ken Carman on the dangers of making things more difficult for fans to watch games: “If you can’t get access to it, you’re less likely to buy a ticket. You’re less likely to buy merchandise. You’re less likely to be involved in the organization as it is. And then Owen [producer] comes in and hands me this sheet, which is the Cavaliers TV and streaming schedule. Honestly, this looks like a call sheet. This looks like something Kevin Stefanski [former Cleveland Browns head coach] stuck in front of his face and called from.”
Ken Carman calls for change in accessing Cleveland Cavaliers basketball games on television: “I love the [Cleveland] Cavs, and they’re good people over there. This has to change as soon as possible. They got to do something. This is bad. You’re 30th out of 30 teams in terms of accessibility?”
What Remains Unclear: It remains unclear if Carman pulls back on Cavaliers coverage because of complaints about accessibility. Whether or not NBA teams will pivot based on fan feedback regarding their new local television and streaming deals is yet to be seen.
What It Means: Ultimately, Carman sees a business risk, not just an inconvenience. Fans who cannot watch tend to stop buying tickets and merchandise. In addition, they have less reason to form opinions and talk about the team. Consequently, the NBA may be shrinking the very audience it hopes to grow. However, with time comes familiarity. The NBA is likely to build a streaming centralized hub next season who could alleviate some of the pain points for NBA fans.
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