ESPN, the self-titled worldwide leader in sports, has added more NBA content than any other sport.
First, in “Detail,” Kobe Bryant targets and analyzes various players in the current NBA playoffs – his most recent production was about Celtics rookie phenomenon Jayson Tatum. Information about the popularity of the show is not yet available, but it has received increasing media attention. In fact, the feature of Jayson Tatum was addressed as a press question for Celtics head coach Brad Stevens.
Secondly, an upcoming production is “Basketball: A Love Story,” a 63-part series of some of basketball’s biggest icons, which will arrive on ESPN in October. Thirdly, “The Last Dance,” which follows Michael Jordan and his historically brilliant career with the Chicago Bulls, will premiere on both Netflix and ESPN in 2019.
ESPN’s focus on the NBA is simple: basketball is more popular and marketable than any other professional sport.
Further, the NBA has an incredibly strong social media presence. The association has 65 million combined followers on Twitter, Instagram, and Youtube, which is 50 million more than the MLB and 25 million more than NFL. And these numbers are only increasing: since February 2016, their followers on these platforms have increased by roughly 26 million.
In fact, in 2016, the NBA was the first league to eclipse one billion followers and likes across all platforms.
Additionally, the popularity does not just stem from the league itself. According to Marketing Evaluations, nine of the thirteen most well-known current athletes are NBA players. LeBron James, the leader in social media followers among all NBA players, is the only US athlete in the top 10 of global social media followers. Almost unbelievably, James’s Twitter and Instagram followers alone eclipsed the NBA’s followers from Twitter, Instagram, and Youtube.
In an interview with CNN Money, NBA commissioner Adam Silver explained that the emphasis of social media has been part of their strategy for a few years. Instead of broadcasting their games independently on national television, Silver and his fellow executives decided that placing more emphasis on highlights and players’ personalities on social media would be a more effective marketing tool.
Although, the NFL still leads the NBA in national popularity. According to Gallup, 37% of adults preferred to watch the NFL, compared to second-place NBA, following at a meager 11% in 2018. Plus, among the top 10 most-watched telecasts in 2017, six of them were NFL events (including Super Bowl 51 at the top), and just one was an NBA game (NBA Finals Game 5 tied for sixth place).
But that doesn’t mean the NFL is here to stay at the top of the popularity list. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar addresses the many reasons why the NFL is slipping in his editorial. First, he points out that the amount of people claiming football to be their favorite sport was 67% in 2012 — this is now down to 37%, as mentioned above. Secondly, the NFL is becoming increasingly dangerous. Severe brain damage was found in 110 out of 111 NFL retired players, and consequently, the sport is becoming less popular among parents.
Hence, Adam Silver’s investment in social media may pay off. It’s incredibly inexpensive, it increases brand awareness and loyalty, it has high conversion rates, and it is becoming increasingly popular in a social-centric era. Clearly, it isn’t hurting the NBA, and if Abdul-Jabbar’s predictions are correct, it will be enough to propel the association above the NFL.
Clearly, ESPN’s expansion of NBA content is brilliant. Basketball already holds global popularity and only continues to grow annually. With the marketability of its players on social media, ESPN could see its viewers and revenue stream grow in the coming years.
