The NBA's biggest problem this season has been declining ratings. Speculation is obviously aggregated across basketball circles as to why this drop is plaguing one of the largest sports leagues in the world, and many ideas are likely touching on the nerve of this issue.
Ratings of NBA basketball have declined 48% since 2012, per Outkick, and 28% year-over-year at ESPN. Some believe this is a symptom of a decaying league, while others simply attribute this to a difference in media consumption habits globally.
Talent levels across the league have undoubtedly risen on average, and young stars continue to surface as the rising generation of the National Basketball Association. The international game is beginning to catch up to the American product, and that impending threat has brought anyone with an idea to pitch solutions for the NBA to save their problematic attention share.
From a four-point line to fewer games in the year, and even to erasing corner 3s altogether, we've heard it all. But recent suggestions from Adam Silver could direct the league to make another change that none really saw coming.
Adam Silver is not afraid to change the NBA formula
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver floats the idea of changing the game from 12 to 10 minute quarters #NBA pic.twitter.com/ymajYHTgi4
— Dan Patrick Show (@dpshow) January 29, 2025
"The NBA is the only league that plays 48 minutes, and I am a fan of four 10-minute quarters," the commissioner shared on the Dan Patrick Show. "I'm not sure that many others are, [...] a two-hour format for a game is more consistent with modern television habits."
Those modern television habits may be greatly influenced by the rise of social media consumption, as many prefer to scroll through X or Instagram (or even Tik Tok if you didn't give up hope when it was initially taken down) than sit for hours to watch a long form, 48-minute basketball game that is equal parts product placement to performance.
While shaving off 8 minutes of playtime may be a drastic adjustment for many strategists and coaches league-wide, streamlining the game may be in the best interest of the game, and other American leagues provide precedent for this line of thinking.
"It's such a dramatic change to the game," Silver admitted, but noted the MLB's recent changes like the introduction of the pitch clock, increasing the size of bases, and other adjustments that have worked tremendously for that league's viewership. "If they're making those changes, surely we shouldn't be afraid to look at changes."
Could the NBA really benefit from a shorter run time, or would the league be better served by shortening the season altogether, adjusting other long-held traditions, or finding a new wrinkle that no one has thought of before? Beyond that, could the NBA's declining ratings be corrected by simply weathering the storm?
Time will tell, but the NBA's affinity for innovation should comfort fans who felt anxious at the prospect of a dying brand.