"Leagues can survive temporary ratings dips and negative media cycles. What they can’t survive is indifference. Indifference creeps in when fans start asking, “Is he playing?” before they ask, “What time is tipoff?”
"The more the NBA can bridge the gap between audience levels for regular season games versus [nationally-televised] playoff games, the more value it creates."
Borrell Associates projects that figure will climb considerably over the next four years as the industry undergoes what it describes as a "great reshuffling."