SBJ Unpacks: Sharp NBA Finals Audience Drop A Continued Sign Of The Times

Tonight in SBJ Unpacks: Game 1 of the NBA Finals sees steep viewership decline from last year's opener.

Also:

• Olympic reform bill awaits President Trump's signature
• ESPN's mid-game MLB player interviews surprise some viewers
• WNBA commissioner doesn't rule out bubble for next season
• IndyCar season finale wants to host 20,000 fans this month
• Why NFL COVID outbreak could have been much worse

NBA FINALS SEES SHARP AUDIENCE DROP AMID CALENDAR SHIFT

• ABC averaged 7.41 million viewers for the Lakers’ 116-98 win over the Heat in Game 1 on Wednesday night, marking the least-watched NBA Finals game since ABC/ESPN acquired media rights to the league prior to the 2002-03 season, per SBJ’s Austin Karp. The game may also be the lowest audience for any Finals game dating back to 1994 (when viewership records began), but that could not be confirmed by presstime.
  
  

• The previous low was Game 2 of the 2003 Spurs-Nets finals, which averaged 8.06 million viewers. Last year, in late May on a normal schedule, Game 1 of Raptors-Warriors averaged 13.89 million viewers.
  
  

• While the game was a record-low for ABC/ESPN with the shift to early October for the finals, Game 1 was the most-viewed program of the night on TV, marking the 71st consecutive time that an NBA Finals game has won the night.
  
  
  
• Beyond the shift due to COVID-19, ABC also had competition from the MLB Wild Card round last night (2.2 million viewers watching baseball from 9:00-11:00pm). Also, compared to the night of Game 1 in 2019, there were 9.1 million fewer U.S. homes watching any sort of TV last night.
  
  
  
• Cable news also continues to be strong amid an election year, with 3.5 million more viewers watching CNN/MSNBC/Fox News during the game last night compared the night of Game 1 in 2019. 

OLYMPIC REFORM BILL NOW AWAITS PRESIDENT TRUMP'S SIGNATURE

• The House of Representatives today "passed sweeping legislation that is poised to alter the sprawling landscape of Olympic sports, including giving more power to athletes and forcing more oversight of the coaches and executives who have traditionally controlled the sports," per the Washington Post.
  
  

• The bill, which "easily passed the Senate and now awaits President Trump’s signature, will have immediate ramifications that could prove costly for the cash-strapped" USOPC. But athletes and their advocates say the biggest impact "could be looming a year or more down the road."
  
  

• Born out of the Larry Nassar scandal that "rocked the gymnastics world and toppled the leadership at the USOPC, the Empowering Olympic, Paralympic, and Amateur Athletes Act empowers Congress to decertify individual sports’ governing bodies and dissolve the USOPC’s board of directors." It also "calls for better athlete representation in governing bodies and more funding for the U.S. Center for SafeSport."
  
  
• The bill "effectively means that Congress will keep close watch on Olympic organizations, receiving annual reports and audits, and will be poised to take further action, if needed."

ESPN CONTINUES MID-GAME PLAYER INTERVIEWS DURING MLB PLAYOFFS

• SI's Dan Gartland notes ESPN yesterday and last night "gave earpieces to A’s outfielder Mark Canha and Dodgers infielder Justin Turner during their playoff games and interviewed them while they played defense."
  
  
• Gartland: "An in-game interview, even in a playoff game, isn’t a terrible idea, but there were issues with how ESPN deployed it in both of these cases. Doing the interview in the early innings is a smart approach, but interviewing a player whose team is facing elimination is sure to rub some fans the wrong way."
  
  
• ESPN this afternoon did another mid-game interview with A's outfielder Ramon Laureano, and reactions varied with what might be becoming a trend across the postseason.
  
  
  • Boston Globe's Pete Abraham: "There's a line between cool and intrusive."
    
    
  • Bleacher Report's Zachary D. Rymer: "'Well, Ramón, your team's season is ending before our very eyes. But while we have you, what's your perfect Sunday?'"
    
    
  • S.F. Chronicle's Ann Killion: "god, if I was the manager I would be so pissed off right now..."
    
    
  • CBS Sports' Adam Aizer: "OK Ramon Laureano is giving an interview while playing center field in the third inning of an elimination game. This is both very cool and very ridiculous at the same time."
    
    
  • NBC Sports' Jessica Kleinschmidt: "ESPN broadcast says Laureano 'wanted to do it.' They've spoken to MLBPA and it was encouraged, even in postseason games."

NEWS YOU NEED FROM SPORTS BUSINESS DAILY

• During this crisis impacting the sports business, we want everyone to be up-to-date on the latest news and information. Tonight, the entire Sports Business Daily section from last night's Sports Business Awards is free, outside the paywall. Below are the headlines, and check out last night's full SBA show here.
  
  
  • Tanenbaum: Sports Need To Foster Change In Today's World
  • ESPN's Pitaro, CBS, Bleacher Report Win Big In Media At SBAs
  • Expansion Growth Helps MLS Win League Of The Year
  • Florida's Scott Stricklin Takes AD Of The Year Honors
  • LSU's Viral Posts Help Win Best In Sports Social Media
  • NFL Draft In Nashville Takes Event Of The Year Honors
  • Octagon Tops Sports Business Awards For Corporate Consulting

ENGELBERT GIVES STATE OF WNBA ADDRESS AHEAD OF FINALS

• WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert addressed the media via conference call prior to the start of the WNBA Finals tomorrow night between the Seattle Storm and the Las Vegas Aces at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla. 
  
  
• Engelbert said that she “couldn’t be more pleased with the state of the game" as the league navigated the challenges 2020 presented. But she said that playing in front of no fans made for a trying financial year. Engelbert did not offer any financial specifics, but said playing at the single site Bradenton “Wubble” was “100 percent worth it." Engelbert: "The option of not having a season ... was more devastating financially.”
  
  
• The WNBA already is planning for next season -- whether teams will play in arenas with fans, without fans, with social distancing and with rapid testing, writes SBJ's John Lombardo. The league is also surveying its fan base to determine if they would be willing to come back should the league reopen arenas. Engelbert: "We are hoping by May, they will be.” 
  
  
• Engelbert did not rule out playing next season in a bubble format, if needed. “We may be in a position where we have to do it again, but we need to be prepared for a variety of outcomes here,” she said. “Our teams would like to get their fans back in their arenas, but certainly, would we do it again?  We'd revisit it because, again, I think it's so important to stay in the sports landscape.”  
  
  
• Engelbert’s main priority in the offseason will be to increase marketing efforts around the league. “The key will be to continue to market the players, the personalities, and the rivalries,” she said.

   

INDYCAR'S CHAMPIONSHIP RACE COULD HOST 20,000 FANS THIS MONTH

• Organizers of the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg today said they "could host up to 20,000 spectators" for the Oct. 25 NTT IndyCar Series season finale, per the Tampa Bay Times. 
  
  
• The proposed attendance figure was "submitted to the City Council before its meeting" this afternoon and "discussed as members approved the resolution to hold" the championship race. 
  
  
• Grand Prix co-owner Kevin Savoree told the Council, “We feel comfortable at this 20,000 level. Would we like to have more fans? Absolutely. But I think for us, we have to walk before we run.”
  
  
• Attendance at IndyCar events since the pandemic has been limited. Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s road course "will be able to host 10,000 fans for this weekend’s doubleheader."

SOME GOOD NEWS ON NFL COVID OUTBREAK

• Postponing an NFL game is unfortunate, but SBJ's Ben Fischer cites sources around the league this afternoon are sounding a cautiously cheerful note.
  
  

• Why? Because the Vikings all tested negative again this morning. They still could test positive -- it’ll be the weekend before they’re out of the incubation period -- but confidence is growing that the outbreak is limited to the Titans.
  
  

• If that holds true, it means two things:
  
  
  • The Steelers-Titans rescheduling jiu jitsu will be kept to a minimum.
    
    
  • Titans players took the field with the Vikings on Sunday and didn’t transmit the virus.
    
    
• It’s just one game, but it’s a sign that perhaps tackle football is not as high-risk as originally presumed. That’s got major implications for the entire sport -- from Pop Warner leagues to the Super Bowl.
  
   

LEVY USING PANTHERS GAME AS TEST-CASE FOR PREPAID CONCESSIONS

• Levy Restaurants plan to offer fans attending this Sunday’s Panthers game at Bank of America Stadium a mobile option on their tickets to pay $15 in advance for certain concessions. Those will include a rotating “hot entrée of the game,” chips, candy, soda and water (representing an average of $20 in savings). Levy Exec VP & COO Tom Funk told SBJ's Karn Dhingra that the mobile option could be rolled out at other venues in the near future.
   

• Funk said the Panthers will be a test case, but the primary purpose of offering this option to fans is to make them feel safe when it comes to food and beverage. This weekend represents the first time the Panthers will host fans during the NFL season. Funk added that from a performance perspective, if Levy can drive revenue, it’s always a plus. 
  
  
• Overall, Levy’s menu items at BofA will be streamlined for speed and feature enclosed packaging. Fans will also have access to in-seat concessions ordering, as there will be no hawkers in the stands. Levy expects a “couple hundred” fans in the stadium’s suites, where they can see and order items via Quick Respose code on the team application. 
  
  
• Meanwhile, the Charlotte Business Journal's Erik Spanberg writes under the header, "How Panthers Plan To Keep Fans Safe At BofA Stadium."

SPEED READS

• The NFL early this evening sent a memo to all teams with the subject, "Post Exposure COVID Procedures." The second bolded graph reads, "There is one simple rule to remember: act as if every person you come in contact with has a COVID infection and take appropriate precautions." Requirements for any club that has experienced an outbreak or been exposed to the virus include PCR and POC tests on game day, strictly virtual meetings and gloves worn by all players on the field with the exception of the quarterback.
  
  

• What brands are getting the most out of the NFL this season? SportsAtlas and Zoomph ran the numbers for us this week, and the top two are not surprises: Long-time league sponsors BudLight and Bose. But Nos. 3, 4, and 5 are newcomers: Allegiant Air, Invisalign and SoFi. It certainly shows what primetime telecasts at new stadiums can do for you. Check out the whole list here.
  
  
• MoffettNathanson analyst Michael Nathanson in a report today maintained his "neutral" rating on the stock of Disney, but "boosted his stock price target by $18, citing the Hollywood giant's 'strong' position in streaming."

• As the winter sports season approaches, ski resorts are "ready for a comeback, armed with complicated plans and strategies to keep guests safe," per the Wall Street Journal's Nancy Keates. Taylor Middleton, president and COO of Big Sky Resort in Montana, said, “This winter will be all about getting open and staying open." That means no more traditional “singles” lift line -- "instead, there will be 'self-choice' lines, in which skiers can ride with family groups or more spaced out with strangers."
  
  
• Sporting News' Jason Foster had fun with the Braves winning their first playoff series since 2001. Foster: "The last time the Braves won a playoff series, Twitter didn't exist. Neither did Facebook. Neither did YouTube. Neither did the iPhone. Neither did Blu-ray. It's been a while. Congrats, Atlanta."

SBJ UNPACKS -- THE ROAD AHEAD

• Check out the most recent editions of our SBJ Unpacks podcasts:
  
  
  • Will Cavanaugh of SportsAtlas shares insights from the make-good-economy that has emerged during the pandemic across sports sponsorship.
    
    
  • Honeywell Senior Sales Manager Tom Sumner joins Andrew Levin to discuss helping the NFL Panthers welcome fans.
    
    
  • SBJ's Michael Smith joins Bill King to discuss the college landscape now that all major conferences have plans set for a fall football season.

Something related to coronavirus and sports business catch your eye? Tell us about it. Reach out to Austin Karp (akarp@sportsbusinessjournal.com) and we'll share the best of it.