Why Do NBA Games Start Late?

Many people have complained about the late start times for NBA games, but there are actually good reasons for it. Here’s a look at why NBA games start late.

The NBA’s History of Starting Games Late

The NBA has a long history of starting games late. The reason for this is simple: the NBA wants to maximize its television ratings by starting its games when most people are watching television.

In the past, the NBA has typically started its games at 8:00 pm Eastern Time. However, in recent years, the NBA has pushed back the start time of its games to 9:00 pm Eastern Time or even later. This has led to some complaining from fans, especially those who have to wake up early for work or school the next day.

There are several reasons why the NBA starts its games late. First, late start times allow more people to watch the game. Second, late start times mean that more people will see the game on television if it goes into overtime. And third, late start times allow the NBA to show more commercials during its broadcast, which generates more revenue for the league.

While there are some drawbacks to starting games late, it is clear that the NBA believes that the benefits outweigh the costs. And so, for better or worse, late start times are here to stay.

Why the NBA Starts Games Late

The NBA has a bit of a reputation for starting its games late. In fact, it’s not uncommon for an NBA game to start an hour or more after the posted time. There are a few reasons for this. Let’s take a look at a few of them.

TV Ratings

TV ratings are the main reason why the NBA starts games late. Starting games at 8:00 or 8:30 pm allows more people to watch the game after they finish work or finish dinner.

This late start also allows the NBA to air its games on primetime television. This is important because primetime TV spots are worth more advertising revenue than spots during other times of the day.

Lastly, starting games late means that more people in the Western time zone (where a majority of NBA teams are located) will be able to watch the game live. This is important because live viewership is worth more to advertisers than viewers who watch games on recorded later.

Player Rest

One of the primary reasons for the late start time is player rest. It’s no secret that NBA players are some of the most physically exerting athletes in the world, playing an 82 game regular season. In order to be at their best for the playoffs, many players take advantage of every opportunity to rest during the season. Because of this, late start times allow players to sleep in and receive treatment later into the day. This results in a more rested player, which in turn should result in a better product on the court.

National Exposure

One of the main reasons NBA games start late is because of national television exposure. Games that are played on the west coast often start at 10:30 pm EST so that they can be shown on TV back east. This is generally the case for any west coast team that is playing against an east coast team. Games that are shown on ESPN or TNT also start late so that they can be shown in primetime slots.

How the NBA Could Start Games Earlier

The NBA has seen a decline in viewership over the past few years and one of the main reasons cited is the late start time of games. Games start at 10:00 pm EST, which is too late for many people to stay up and watch. The NBA needs to start games earlier if they want to increase viewership and bring in more revenue.

Change the Schedule

The NBA could start games earlier if they wanted to, but they don’t. Why?

The main reason is that starting games earlier would mean that they would end later, and that would cut into the prime-time TV slot that airs later in the evening.

The other reason is that many of the NBA’s fans are young people, and young people tend to stay up later.

So, it’s really all about TV ratings and money. The NBA isn’t going to start games earlier unless they’re forced to by their TV partners or unless it becomes clear that it would be financially beneficial for them to do so.

More Day Games

The NBA could start games earlier if they wanted to. But, they don’t. Why? Because they make more money by starting games later in the day. It’s really that simple.

The NBA’s television partners (ABC/ESPN and TNT) pay the league billions of dollars each year for the right to broadcast NBA games. And, the networks make most of their money by selling advertising time during the games. So, they want the games to start at times when more people are watching TV. That way, they can charge advertisers more for commercials during the game.

Right now, the majority of NBA games start at 7:00 pm or 8:00 pm ET. That’s because that’s when people are most likely to be home from work and available to watch TV. If the NBA started most of its games at 4:00 pm or 5:00 pm ET, the networks would make less money from advertising because fewer people would be watching TV at those times.

So, it’s really all about TV ratings and advertising revenue. The NBA could start its games earlier in the day, but it would mean less money for the league and its owners. And, that’s just not something they’re willing to do.

Play Games on Weekdays

The NBA regular season typically runs from October to April, with each team playing 82 games. But why do most NBA games start at 7 p.m. or later? That’s a question that has long puzzled fans of the sport.

One reason for the late start times is that the NBA wants to maximise television ratings by playing games when most people are available to watch them. According to Sportscasting, the NBA gets its highest TV ratings when games are played on Friday and Saturday nights.

But there is another reason why basketball games start late: The players’ union negotiated a rule that prevents games from starting before 8 p.m. local time on weekdays and 7 p.m. local time on weekends, according to The Ringer. This rule was put in place so players would have more time to rest between games; playing four games in five days is physically demanding, and starting earlier would mean less recovery time for players.

The late start times might be bad for fans who can’t stay up late to watch, but they’re good for television networks like ESPN, which pays billions of dollars to broadcast NBA games. And as long as the TV ratings are high, it’s unlikely that the NBA will change its scheduling practices any time soon.

Conclusion

After conducting our research, we have come to the conclusion that NBA games start late because of the lengthy process of setting up the court, player warm-ups, and national television broadcasts. While some fans may be frustrated with the late start times, it is important to remember that there is a lot that goes into ensuring a smooth and entertaining game.