The NBA All-Star Game is struggling to keep fans interested, while the NHL may have found a way to make its All-Star break exciting again. The NHL introduced the 4 Nations Face-Off, an international tournament, which brought more competition and higher ratings.
NBA All-Star Game Decline
The NBA All-Star Game is becoming less popular each year. This year, only 4.7 million people watched, which is 13% less than last year. In fact, the last three NBA All-Star Games have been the least watched in history, with none reaching 6 million viewers.
One big problem was that some of the league’s top stars, like LeBron James and Anthony Edwards, didn’t play. The game also lacked effort from players, making it less exciting to watch. To fix this, the NBA is thinking about adding a one-on-one tournament, which many players have said they would love to compete in.
Even All-Star Saturday Night saw a drop in viewership, falling from 4.57 million viewers last year to just 3.4 million this year. Last year, a three-point contest between Stephen Curry and Sabrina Ionescu helped boost interest. This year, a similar event was supposed to happen with WNBA star Caitlin Clark, but she decided not to participate.
NHL’s Big Win
While the NBA All-Star Weekend struggled, the NHL’s 4 nations Face-Off was a huge success. The game between the United States and Canada averaged 4.6 million viewers, a 226% increase from a similar event in 2016.
The championship game between Canada and the U.S. was even bigger, drawing 16.1 million viewers across North America. It became the second most-watched hockey game of the past decade and the most-watched non-Stanley Cup game since 2014.
By bringing together Canada, the U.S., Sweden, and Finland, the NHL created a tournament that excited fans and increased interest in next year’s Winter Olympics. With this new format the NHL may have found a way to make its All-Star break must-watch tv. Meanwhile, the NBA is still searching for answers.