The Big Lead

Kevin Durant 'seriously' wants to get down to solve NBA's declining viewership problem

By Aikansh Chaudhary

Dec 23, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant (35) during the second half against the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
Dec 23, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant (35) during the second half against the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images / Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
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The five-game header on Christmas Day helped the NBA reclaim a fraction of its past glory. After all, it featured a plethora of excellent games with prominent superstars playing in each matchup.

Despite that, the NBA was quickly brought down from its high horse after the NFL released it's average viewership on Christmas Day with just two games.

RELATED: Kevin Durant thinks Denver Nuggets star is a 'top-10 player of all-time'

The NFL surpassed the NBA with nearly 20 million viewers, thanks to partnering with streaming juggernaut Netflix.

Keeping that in mind, Phoenix Suns superstar Kevin Durant, who played on Christmas, wants to know the real reason behind fans drifting away from basketball.

"It's more than just one factor on why this league is great and it's not just the players why it's great and it's not just the players why the viewership is not up," Durant said. "We all play a part in why the league is what it is. Us in here, the people that were in the stands tonight, players on the floor, we all play a part in pushing this league forward. It does a lot for people. So, I take this seriously. I'm locked in as to why people don't want to watch us play."

KD also pointed out that it's easy for fans to question the players since they make "so much money." But at the end of the day, every department involved in the NBA will be required to perform optimally to revamp the NBA's viewership.

With the Christmas Day momentum, it's the perfect time for the NBA to study what the fans love and how to deliver a similar product in the future. It would be wise to ask the opinion of other veterans like Durant to solve the problem.

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