17
SPORTS RADIO
17.1 Sports Radio Stations
New York City-based WFAN (660 AM) is credited with pioneering the
24-hour-per-day sports-talk station format, in 1987. Its success spawned rapid growth
of sports-talk radio in the 1990s and 2000s. Every major metropolitan area now has at
least one radio station offering 24/7 sports; some have two or more.
According to the Streaming Radio Guide (www.streamingradioguide.com), there
are 461 AM sports radio stations and 91 FM sports radio stations in the U.S. Among
these 552 stations, 313 stream online. A list of sports radio stations is available at
http://streamingradioguide.com/streaming-radio.php?format=3&sort=&showall=on.
The following are sports radio station groups and sports rights held (source:
SportsBusiness Journal’s 2011 Resource Guide & Fact Book):
Alabama
WJOX 690-AM (www.joxfm.com)
• NFL Tennessee Titans
• Birmingham Barons (AAA)
• University of Alabama
• University of Alabama, Birmingham
Arizona
KDUS 1060-AM (www.kdus.com)
• Arizona State University baseball
• University of Nebraska football
• Notre Dame University football
KTAR 620-AM (www.ktar.com)
• MLB Arizona Diamondbacks
• NBA Phoenix Suns
• NFL Arizona Cardinals
• NCAA Tostitos Fiesta Bowl
• Arizona State University
KGME 910-AM (www.xtra910.com)
• NHL Phoenix Coyotes
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California
KLAC 570-AM (www.am570radio.com)
• NFL San Diego Chargers
• NHL Los Angeles Kings
• MLS Los Angeles Galaxy
• University of California, Los Angeles
KLSD 1360-AM (www.xtrasports1350.com)
• NFL San Diego Chargers
• University of San Diego basketball
KCTC 1320-AM (www.espn1320.net)
• NFL San Francisco 49ers
KHTK 1140-AM (www.khtkam.com)
• NBA Sacramento Kings
• WNBA Sacramento Monarchs
• University of California, Davis
KLAA 830-AM (www.am830.net)
• MLB Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
• NFL Oakland Raiders
• NHL Anaheim Ducks
• University of Notre Dame
XEPE 1700-AM (www.sandiego1700.com)
KTRB 860-AM (www.xtra860am.com)
• MLB Oakland Athletics
• Stanford University
KNBR 680-AM and KNBR 1050-AM (www.knbr.com)
• MLB San Francisco Giants
• NBA Golden State Warriors
• NFL San Francisco 49ers
• MLS San Jose Earthquakes
KSPN 710-AM (www.710espn.com)
• NBA Los Angeles Lakers
• University of Southern California
XPRS 1090-AM (www.xxsportsradio.com)
• MLB San Diego Padres
• University of San Diego
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KCKK 1510-AM (www.milehighsports.com)
• NBA Denver Nuggets
• NHL Colorado Avalanche
• MLS Colorado Rapids
• Mountain West Conference
• U.S. Air Force Academy
KKFN 104.3-FM and KEPN 1600-AM (www.fm1043thefan.com and
www.espnradio1600.com)
• CHL Rocky Mountain Range
• University of Wyoming football
KXDP 87.7-FM (www.877theticket.com)
• University of Denver
Connecticut
WPOP 1404-AM (www.sportsradio1410.com)
Florida
WDAE 620-AM (www.620wdae.com)
• MLB Tampa Bay Rays
• NFL Tampa Bay Buccaneers
• NHL Tampa Bay Lightning
• University of Florida
WFTL 640-AM (www.wftlsports.com)
• MLB New York Yankees
WQYK 1010-AM (http://wqyk.cbslocal.com)
• NFL Miami Dolphins
• University of South Florida
WHBO 1040-AM (www.espn1040.com)
• MLB New York Yankees
• NBA Orlando Magic
• Florida State University
• University of Miami
WHOO 1080-AM (www.espnflorida.com)
• Florida State University
• University of Miami
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WQAM 560-AM (www.wqam.com)
• NHL Florida Panthers
• University of Miami
WAXY 790-AM (www.790theticket.com)
• MLB Florida Marlins
• NBA Miami Heat
• Florida International University
WAOC 1420-AM (www.1420sports.com)
• NFL Jacksonville Jaguars
• University of Florida football
WINZ 940-AM (www.940winz.com)
• NBA Miami Heat
• NFL Miami Dolphins
WYGM 740-AM (www.740thegame.com)
• NFL Jacksonville Jaguars
• AFL Orlando Predators
• UFL Florida Tuskers
• University of Central Florida
WJXL 1010-AM (www.1010xl.com)
• Jacksonville University
WFXJ 930-AM (www.930thefox.com)
• University of Florida
WOCN 1450-AM (www.1450espndeportes.com)
• University of Miami
Georgia
WQXI 790-AM (www.790thezone.com)
• NBA Atlanta Hawks
• AT&T Classic (golf)
• NCAA Chick-fil-A Bowl
• Georgia Tech University
WCNN 680-AM, WIFN 1340-AM, WFOM 1230-AM (www.680thefan.com)
• MLB Atlanta Braves
• NHL Atlanta Thrashers
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• The Masters
• BCS National Championship
• NCAA Chick-fil-A College Kick-Off game
• NCAA Division I Men’s Final Four
• Southeastern Conference football and basketball championship game
• University of Florida
Idaho
KTIK 1360-AM (www.ktik.com)
Illinois
WMVP 1000-AM (www.espnradio1000.com)
• NBA Chicago Bulls
WSCR 670-AM (www.670thescore.com)
• MLB Chicago White Sox
• DePaul University
• Northern Illinois University
Indiana
WXLW 950-AM (www.xl950.com)
• MLB Cincinnati Reds
• Indianapolis Indians (AAA)
• Butler University
• Marian University
WNDE 1260-AM (www.wnde.com)
• Purdue University
WFNI 1070-AM and WHLK 97.1-FM (www.1070thefan.com)
• NBA Indiana Pacers
• NFL Indianapolis Colts
• WNBA Indiana Fever
• Indiana University
Iowa
KXNO 1460-AM (www.kxno.com)
• MLB St. Louis Cardinals
• NFL Minnesota Vikings
• University of Northern Iowa
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Kansas
KCSP 610-AM (www.610sports.com)
• MLB Kansas City Royals
• University of Kansas
WHB 810-AM (www.810whb.com)
• Kansas State University
• University of Missouri, Kansas City
Kentucky
WLXG 1300-AM (www.wlxg.com)
Louisiana
WSLA 1560-AM (www.wslaradio.com)
• MLB Houston Astros
WWWL 1350-AM (www.1350espn.com)
Maryland
WNST 1570-AM (www.wnst.net)
WVIE 1370-AM and WCBM 680-AM (www.fox1370.com)
• NBA Washington Wizards
• University of Maryland, Baltimore County
• University of Notre Dame
WJZ 1300-AM and WJZ 105.7 FM (www.espn1300.com)
• MLB Baltimore Orioles (105.7-FM only)
• University of Maryland
WTEM 980-AM, WWXX 94.3 FM, WWXT 92.7-FM (www.espn980.com)
• MLB Baltimore Orioles
• NFL Washington Redskins
• George Mason University
• Georgetown University
• University of Maryland
• University of Virginia
• Virginia Tech
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Massachusetts
WWZN 1510-AM (www.1510thezone.com)
• AHL Lowell Devils
• Boston University
• Harvard University football
• University of Notre Dame
WBZ 98.5-FM (www.985thesportshub.com)
• NFL New England Patriots
• NHL Boston Bruins
WEEI 850-AM and WEEI 103.7-FM (www.weei.com)
• MLB Boston Red Sox
• NBA Boston Celtics
• MLS New England Reveolution
• Boston College
Michigan
WDFN 1130-AM (www.wdfn.com)
• MLB Detroit Tigers
• NFL Detroit Lions
• NHL Detroit Red Wings
WXYT 97.1-FM and WXYT 1270-AM (www.971theticket.com)
• MLB Detroit Tigers
• NBA Detroit Pistons
• NFL Detroit Lions
• NHL Detroit Red Wings
Minnesota
KFAN 1130-AM and KFXN 690-AM (www.kfan.com and www.thescore690.com)
• NBA Minnesota Timberwolves
• NFL Minnesota Vikings
KSTP 1500-AM (www.1500espn.com)
• MLB Minnesota Twins
Missouri
KFNS 590-AM and KSLG 1380-AM (www.fkns.com)
• Missouri Valley Conference
• University of Illinois
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• St. Louis University
WXOS 101.1-FM (www.101espn.com)
• NFL St. Louis Rams
• St. Louis University
Nebraska
KOZN 1600-AM (www.1630thezone.com)
New Jersey
WENJ 97.3-FM and WENJ 1400-AM (www.1450espn.com)
• MLB Philadelphia Phillies
New York
WEPN 1050-AM (www.1050espnradio.com)
• NBA New York Knicks
• NFL New York Jets
• NHL New York Rangers
WFAN 660-AM (www.wfan.com)
• MLB New York Mets
• NBA New Jersey Nets
• NFL New York Giants
• NHL New Jersey Devils
WGR 550-AM (www.wgr550.com)
• NHL Buffalo Sabres
North Carolina
WCMC 99.9-FM, WDNC 620-AM, WCLY 1550-AM (www.espntriangle.com)
• NHL Carolina Hurricanes (99.9-FM)
• Durham Bulls (AAA)
• Duke University
• University of Notre Dame
WFNZ 610-AM and WFNA 1660-AM (www.wfnz.com)
• AHL Charlotte Checkers
• Charlotte Knights (AAA)
• University of North Carolina
• University of North Carolina, Charlotte
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• Wake Forest University
WZGV 730-AM (www.foxsports730.com)
• Appalachian State University basketball and football
Ohio
WKNR 850-AM and WWGK 1540-AM (KNR2) (www.espncleveland.com)
• AHL Lake Erie Monsters
• Ohio State University
WCKY 1530-AM (www.1530homer.com)
• NFL Cincinnati Bengals
WSAI 1360-AM (www.1360espn.com)
• University of Cincinnati football and men’s basketball
• University of Kentucky football and men’s basketball
• Xavier University football and men’s basketball
WBNS 1460-AM and WBNS 97.1 FM (www.1460thefan.com)
• NHL Columbus Blue Jackets
• Ohio State University
WYTS 1230-Am (www.progressive1230.com)
• MLB Cincinnati Reds
• Ohio University
Oklahoma
KREF 1400-AM (www.sportstalk1400.com)
• University of Oklahoma
KEBC 1340-AM (www.sportsradio1340.com)
WWLS 640-AM and WWLS 98.1-FM (www.thesportsanimal.com)
• NBA Oklahoma City Thunder
• University of Oklahoma
• Oklahoma State University
Oregon
KXTG 95.5-FM (www.955thegame.com)
• NBA Portland Trailblazers
• NFL Seattle Seahawks
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• MLS Portland Timbers
• University of Oregon
KFXX 1080-AM (www.1080thefan.com)
• MLB Seattle Mariners
Pennsylvania
WIP 610-AM (www.610wip.com)
• MLB Philadelphia Phillies
• NBA Philadelphia 76ers
• NFL Philadelphia Eagles
• NHL Philadelphia Flyers
WPEN 950-AM and WNUW 97.5-FM (www.950espn.com)
• AFL Philadelphia Soul
• University of Pennsylvania
• Villanova University
WXDX 105.9-HD2 (www.1059thex.com)
• NHL Pittsburgh Penguins
WBGG 970-AM (www.fox970.com)
• NFL Pittsburgh Steelers
• University of Pittsburgh
KDKA 94.7-FM (www.937thefan.com)
WEAE 1250-AM (www.1250espn.com)
• Penn State University
South Carolina
WCOS 1400-AM (www.wcos1400.com)
Tennessee
WSMB 680-AM and WMFS 92.9-FM (www.680wsmb.com)
• MLB St. Louis Cardinals
• University of Tennessee
WHBQ 560-AM (www.sports56whbq.com)
• CHL Mississippi Riverkings
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• Memphis Redbirds (AAA)
• University of Mississippi
WGFX 104.5-FM (www.1045thezone.com)
• NHL Nashville Predators
• Vanderbilt University
WNSR 560-AM (www.wnsr.com)
• Middle Tennessee State University
• Nashville Sounds (AAA)
• Vanderbilt University
KQPN 730-AM (www.730foxsports.com)
Texas
KESN 103.3-FM (www.espn1033.com)
• NBA Dallas Mavericks
• Baylor University football
KGOW 1560-AM (www.1560thegame.com)
KRLD 105.3-FM (www.1053thefan.com)
• NFL Dallas Cowboys
• NHL Texas Rangers
• Texas A&M University
KBME 790-AM (www.790thesportsanimal.com)
• University of Houston
• Texas A&M University
• Texas Tech University
KILT 610-AM (www.sporstradio610.com)
• NHL Houston Rockets
• NFL Houston Texans
• University of Texas
KTCK 1310-AM and KTDK 104.1-FM (www.theticket.com)
• NFL Dallas Cowboys
• Southern Methodist University
KTKR 760-AM (www.ticket760.com)
• MLB Houston Astros
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• WNBA San Antonio Silver Stars
• AHL San Antonio Rampage
• University of Texas
• University of Texas, San Antonio
• Texas A&M University
KFNC 97.5-FM (www.975theticket.com)
• Rice University
KZDC 1250-AM (www.1250zone.com)
• University of the Incarnate World
Utah
KALL 700-AM (www.kall70sports.com)
• MLS Real Salt Lake
• University of Utah
KZNS 1290-AM (www.1280thezone.com)
• University of Utah women’s basketball
KFNZ 1320-AM and KJQS 1230-AM (www.thesportsfan.com)
• NBA Utah Jazz
Virginia
WJFK 106.7-FM (www.1067thefandc.com)
• NBA Washington Wizards
Washington
KRKO 1380-AM (www.krko.com)
• NHL Vancouver Canucks
• WHL Everett Silvertips
• Everett Aquasox (A)
• Washington State University
KJR 950-AM and KHHO 850-AM (www.foxsports850.com)
• University of Washington
KIRO 710-AM (www.mynorthwest.com)
• MLB Seattle Mariners
• NFL Seattle Seahawks
• MLS Seattle Sounders FC
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Wisconsin
WAUK 540-AM (www.espn1510.com)
• NASCAR
• Marquette University
• University of Wisconsin hockey
WNFL 1440-AM (www.1440nfl.com)
• MLB Milwaukee Brewers
• NBA Milwaukee Bucks
WSSP 1250-AM (www.sportsradio1250.com)
• AL Milwaukee Admirals
Arbitron (www.arbitron.com) ratings represent average quarter-hour shares
(percentage of households tuned into a specific station) within a given market. Forty-
two (42) sports radio stations have an Arbitron rating of 1.0 or higher. The following are
the sports radio stations with the highest ratings:
• WEEI/WEEI-FM (Boston, Massachusetts): 6.2
• WWLS/WWLS-FM (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma): 4.8
• WFAM (Nassau-Suffolk, New York): 4.3
• KFAN 1130 (Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota): 3.9
• WIP (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania): 3.7
• WHTK (Sacramento, California): 3.5
• WHB (Kansas City, Missouri-Kansas): 2.9
• WFAN (New York, New York): 2.7
• WBNS (Columbus, Ohio): 2.6
• WEAE (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania): 2.4
• WSAI (Cincinnati, Ohio): 2.4
• KJR (Seattle, Washington): 2.3
• WDAE (Tampa-St. Petersburg, Florida): 2.3
• KNBR (San Francisco, California): 2.2
• WTEM (Washington, D.C.): 2.2
• WFNZ/WFNA (Charlotte, North Carolina): 2.2
According to SportsBusiness Journal, annual sports radio broadcast rights fees
are approximately $460 million.
17.2 Sports Radio Networks
Sports radio networks broadcast talk radio shows and live events. Talk radio
includes proprietary content and nationally syndicated radio shows, such as The Jim
Rome Show and 2 Live Stews.
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The sports radio networks and their major sports rights are as follows:
ESPN Radio (www.espnradio.com)
• Major League Baseball
• Major League Soccer
• Bowl Championship Series
• NCAA Football
ESPN Deportes Radio (www.espndeportesradio.com)
• Major League Baseball
• Major League Soccer
MRN - Motor Racing Network (www.motorracingnetwork.com)
• NASCAR Sprint Series; 14 races
• NASCAR Nationwide Series Races
• NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races
PRN - Performance Racing Network (PRN, www.goprn.com)
• NASCAR Sprint Series; 9 races
• NASCAR Nationwide Series races
• NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races
Sporting News Radio (www.sportingnewsradio.com)
• NFL pre-game specials
• NFL Notebook
• College Football Saturday
Sports Byline USA (www.sportsbyline1.com)
• 24-hour talk radio programming
Westwood One (www.westwoodone.com)
• Monday Night Football (NFL)
• Thursday Night Football (NFL)
• Saturday Night Football (NFL)
• Sunday Night Football (NFL)
• NFL Playoffs
• Super Bowl
• NFL Pro Bowl
• Masters Golf Tournament
• U.S. Open (golf)
• British Open
• PGA Championship
• NCAA regular season games
• NCAA Final Four
• NCAA Women’s Final Four
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National Public Radio (NPR, www.npr.org) and Premier Radio Networks
(www.premierradio.com) also broadcast some sports programming.
17.3 The Sports Radio Audience
According to Arbitron Radio Today 2010, 41.8 million people listen to sports
radio each week.
Arbitron provides the following profile of sports radio listeners:
Gender
• Men: 88%
• Women: 12%
Age (men only)
• 12-to-34: 21%
• 35-to-44: 24%
• 45-to-49: 11%
• 50-to-55: 9%
• 55 and older: 21%
Household Income
• Less than $25,000: 7%
• $25,000 to $49,999: 21%
• $50,000 to $74,999: 25%
• $75,000 and higher: 48%
Education
• Less than high school: 3%
• High school graduate: 16%
• Some college: 34%
• College graduate: 48%
Among those who listen to sports radio, average time spent listening to the
format, by age demographic, is as follows:
• 12-to-24: 2 hours, 45 minutes
• 18-to-34: 4 hours, 45 minutes
• 25-to-54: 5 hours, 15 minutes
• 35-to-64: 5 hours, 00 minutes
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Sports radio listening is distributed by location as follows:
• Away from home: 70%
• At home: 30%
17.4 Advertising
SportsBusiness Journal estimates annual sports radio advertising revenues at
$2.2 billion.
Although audiences are dwarfed by market-leading rock stations, broadcast
analysts say sports stations are a good vehicle for products aimed at the male
audience. According to Interep (www.interep.com), a radio sales representation firm,
more than 65% of sports-radio listeners are men; 70% are ages 25-to-54. These
listeners are 81% more likely than all radio listeners to be college graduates; 67% are
more likely to have household income over $75,000.
_________________________________________________________________
“Sports radio stations do better in revenue
share than they do in audience share. You think
that a station that gets 10% of the audience
would get 10% of a market’s revenue. But
sports talk does better than that because of the
target demographic of 18-to-34 year-old males.
When you’re that young, you don’t really
consume that much media, so the media you do
consume is very attractive.”
Mark Fratrik, Vice President
BIA Financial Network
_________________________________________________________________
According to BIA Financial Network (www.bia.com) and SportsBusiness Journal,
the following all-sports stations have the highest annual advertising revenue:
• WFAM 660 (Nassau-Suffolk, New York): $54.0 million
• WEEI 850 (Boston, Massachusetts): $45.6 million
• KNBR 680 (San Francisco, California): $29.8 million
• WTCK 1310 (Dallas-Ft. Worth, Texas): $24.5 million
• KLAC 570 (Los Angeles, California): $24.0 million
• WIP 610 (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania): $18.4 million
• WQAM 560 (Miami-Ft. Lauderdale, Florida): $15.4 million
• WMVP 1000 (Chicago, Illinois): $14.0 million
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• WSCR 670 (Chicago, Illinois): $13.8 million
• WQXI 790 (Atlanta, Georgia): $ 9.8 million
According to Duncan’s American Radio (www.duncanradio.com), national
advertisers are attracted to targeted audiences like those of sports radio. Local
companies, however, are less likely to advertise on narrow-format stations, preferring
the larger audiences delivered by broader-format stations.
17.5 Sports on Satellite Radio
There were 19.5 million satellite radio subscribers at year-end 2010.
As of August 2011, satellite radio had available 19 sports radio channels: 10 on
XM Satellite Radio and 9 on Sirius Satellite Radio. This includes one French-language
and one Spanish-language station on each system.
For Sirius XM Satellite Radio (www.siriusxm.com), which formed in July 2008
when regulators approved the merger of XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc. and Sirius
Satellite Radio, sports programming was a strength of both broadcasters prior to the
merger. When the content packages of both former operators were merged in October
2008, Sirius XM began providing live play-by-play broadcasts of games for all major
sports leagues as well as live coverage of major golf, racing, and tennis events.
The following are the sports broadcast rights deals of Sirius XM Satellite Radio:
• MLB: 11-year, $850 million deal through 2015
• NASCAR: Five-year, $107 million deal through 2011
• NBA: Original deal with Sirius in 2003 was extended through 2011-2012
season
• NFL: Seven-year, $220 million deal through 2011-2012 season
• NHL: 10-year, $100 million deal through 2015
• NLL: Multi-year deal signed in February 2007
17.6 Live Broadcast Baseball
According to Mid-Season 2010 Arbitron Sports Report: PPMTM Radio Listening
for Pro Baseball, the top 14 teams average 176,000 listeners per game in their home
market. The number of listeners by team and station is as follows:
Flagship Station Avg. Audience
• New York Yankees: WCBS-AM 441,000
• New York Mets: WFAN-AM 368,500
• Chicago Cubs: WGN-AM 259,700
• Detroit Tigers: WXYT-AM/WXYT-FM 193,400
• Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim: KLAA-AM/KSPN-FM 166,600
• Philadelphia Phillies: WPHT-AM 159,500
• San Francisco Giants: KNBR-AM 154,900
• Minnesota Twins: KSTP-AM 133,000
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• St. Louis Cardinals: KTRS-AM 128,400
• Cincinnati Reds: WLW-AM 116,100
• Seattle Mariners: KIRO-AM 113,400
• Boston Red Sox: WEEI-AM 107,500
• Chicago White Sox: WSCR-AM 105,600
• Los Angeles Dodgers: KABC-AM 99,900
17.7 Market Resources
Arbitron, 142 West 57th Street, New York, NY 10019. (212) 887-1300. Contact: Chris
Meinhardt, Sports Manager. (www.arbitron.com)
BIA Financial Network, 15120 Enterprise Court, Chantilly, VA 20151. (703) 818-2425.
Contact: Mark Fratrik, Vice President. (www.bia.com)
The Center for Radio Information, 18 Fair Street, Cold Spring, NY 10516.
(800) 359-9898. Contact: Scott E. Webster, President. (www.the-cri.com)
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23
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
23.1 Attendance
The NBA season includes 1,230 regular-season games, with 30 teams each
playing 41 home games. Regular-season average game attendance has been as
follows:
• 1997-1998: 17,135
• 1998-1999: 16,738
• 1999-2000: 16,135
• 2000-2001: 16,784
• 2001-2002: 16,974
• 2002-2003: 16,883
• 2003-2004: 16,994
• 2004-2005: 17,314
• 2005-2006: 17,543
• 2006-2007: 17,760
• 2007-2008: 17,311
• 2008-2009: 17,520
• 2009-2010: 17,149
• 2010-2011: 17,323
_________________________________________________________________
“Overall, the NBA expects $1 billion in gate
revenue, with approximately 75% of the gate
coming from the sale of season tickets. The
league’s season-ticket renewal rate is more than
80%, up from 75% last year.”
SportsBusiness Journal, 9/27/10
_________________________________________________________________
Average home game attendance during the 2010-2011 season for NBA teams
was as follows:
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• Chicago Bulls: 21,791
• Cleveland Cavaliers: 20,112
• Portland Trailblazers: 20,510
• Dallas Mavericks: 20,101
• Miami Heat: 19,778
• New York Knicks: 19,728
• Utah Jazz: 19,511
• Los Angeles Lakers: 18,997
• Orlando Magic: 18,972
• Boston Celtics: 18,972
• Golden State Warriors: 18,692
• San Antonio Spurs: 18,314
• Oklahoma City Thunder: 18,148
• Los Angeles Clippers: 17,747
• Phoenix Suns: 17,567
• Denver Nuggets: 16,901
• Washington Wizards: 16,791
• Detroit Pistons: 16,660
• Toronto Raptors: 16,566
• Houston Rockets: 16,191
• Charlotte Bobcats: 15,846
• Atlanta Hawks: 15,648
• Milwaukee Bucks: 15,412
• Minnesota Timberwolves: 15,242
• Philadelphia 76ers: 14,751
• New Orleans Hornets: 14,709
• Memphis Grizzlies: 14,650
• New Jersey Nets: 14,179
• Sacramento Kings: 13,890
• Indiana Pacers: 13,538
23.2 Team Valuations and Revenue
According to Forbes (December 2010), valuations of NBA teams are as follows:
• New York Knicks: $665 million
• Los Angeles Lakers: $643 million
• Chicago Bulls: $511 million
• Boston Celtics: $452 million
• Houston Rockets: $443 million
• Dallas Mavericks: $438 million
• Miami Heat: $425 million
• Phoenix Suns: $411 million
• San Antonio Spurs: $404 million
• Toronto Raptors: $399 million
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• Orlando Magic: $385 million
• Golden State Warriors: $363 million
• Detroit Pistons: $360 million
• Portland Trail Blazers: $356 million
• Cleveland Cavaliers: $355 million
• Utah Jazz: $343 million
• Philadelphia 76ers: $330 million
• Oklahoma City Thunder: $329 million
• Washington Wizards: $322 million
• Denver Nuggets: $316 million
• New Jersey Nets: $312 million
• Los Angeles Clippers: $305 million
• Atlanta Hawks: $295 million
• Sacramento Kings: $293 million
• Charlotte Bobcats: $291 million
• New Orleans Hornets: $280 million
• Indiana Pacers: $269 million
• Memphis Grizzlies: $266 million
• Minnesota Timberwolves: $264 million
• Milwaukee Bucks: $258 million
23.3 Franchise Transactions
The most recent NBA team sales are as follows:
Year Price
• Boston Celtics: 2003 $360 million
• Phoenix Suns: 2004 $401 million
• New Jersey Nets: 2004 $300 million
• Atlanta Hawks/Thrashers: 2004 $250 million*
• Cleveland Cavaliers: 2005 $375 million
• Oklahoma City Thunder: 2006 $350 million
• New Jersey Nets: 2009 $380 million**
• Charlotte Bobcats: 2010 $270 million
• Golden State Warriors: 2010 $450 million
• Philadelphia 76ers: 2011 $280 million
• Atlanta Hawks: 2011 $300 million***
* total price for sale of NBA and NHL team s, which were sold together
** price for 80% stake in the team and 45% of the Brooklyn arena at Atlantic Yards; includes
$180 m illion in assum ed debt
*** Estim ated; term s of the sale were not m ade public; price includes Philips Arena and associated debt,
estim ated at $120 m illion
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23.4 Fan Cost Index
Team Marketing Report (www.teammarketing.com) annually computes the Fan
Cost Index (FCI) for professional sports leagues and teams. FCI comprises the price of
two (2) adult average-price tickets, two (2) child average-price tickets, two (2) small
draft beers, four (4) small soft drinks, four (4) regular-size hot dogs, parking for one (1)
car, two (2) game programs, and two (2) least-expensive, adult-size caps.
For the 2010-2011 season, the FCI for the National Basketball Association was
$287.70, a 3.2% decrease from the previous season. The average ticket price was
$47.30, a 1.1% increase over the previous season. These metrics for each team were
as follows:
Avg. Ticket FCI
• New York Knicks: $88.66 $505.64
• Los Angeles Lakers: $95.25 $488.98
• Boston Celtics: $68.55 $392.70
• Miami Heat: $60.50 $380.00
• Chicago Bulls: $64.25 $365.00
• Toronto Raptors: $50.97 $332.94
• Phoenix Suns: $62.50 $331.00
• San Antonio Spurs: $56.34 $315.36
• Los Angeles Clippers: $51.47 $313.86
• Dallas Mavericks: $49.45 $297.78
• Portland Trail Blazers: $50.62 $297.49
• Cleveland Cavaliers: $52.28 $288.18
• Denver Nuggets: $47.30 $287.70
• Sacramento Kings: $51.80 $282.20
• Houston Rockets: $41.41 $276.14
• Milwaukee Bucks: $46.00 $265.98
• Detroit Pistons: $42.76 $265.04
• Orlando Magic: $43.00 $263.50
• Philadelphia 76ers: $41.00 $261.98
• New Jersey Nets: $40.50 $261.50
• Oklahoma City Thunder: $45.99 $255.96
• Golden State Warriors: $34.13 $247.52
• Utah Jazz: $41.47 $246.88
• Atlanta Hawks: $36.13 $235.02
• Minnesota Timberwolves: $31.50 $221.50
• New Orleans Hornets: $29.26 $209.04
• Charlotte Bobcats: $29.96 $199.34
• Indiana Pacers: $29.13 $187.52
• Washington Wizards: $24.52 $186.08
• Memphis Grizzlies: $23.18 $173.72
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23.5 Fan Loyalty
Brand Keys (www.brandkeys.com) assessed fan loyalty for each NBA team
during the 2010-2011 season. The following teams were ranked highest in fan loyalty:
1. San Antonio Spurs
2. Los Angeles Lakers
3. Dallas Mavericks
4. Boston Celtics
5. Phoenix Suns
23.6 Television Broadcasts
In 2007, the NBA extended its television broadcast rights contracts with
ABC/ESPN and TNT/Turner Sports through the 2015-2016 season. The deals include
permission for the networks to broadcast live games and other content on digital media.
Regular-season broadcast network ratings (number of broadcasts in
parenthesis) for the NBA have been as follows (sources: Multichannel News,
SportsBusiness Journal, and the networks):
ABC ESPN TNT ESPN2
• 2003-2004: 2.4 (18) 1.3 (64) 1.4 (53) 0.6 (21)
• 2004-2005: 2.3 (18) 1.2 (66) 1.3 (53) 0.6 (18)
• 2005-2006: 2.2 (20) 1.2 (65) 1.3 (52) 0.6 (21)
• 2006-2007: 2.0 (19) 1.2 (69) 1.2 (52) 0.6 (21)
• 2007-2008: 2.2 (19) 1.3 (70) 1.1 (52) 0.6 (20)
• 2008-2009: 2.3 (19) 1.2 (69) 1.1 (52) 0.6 (21)
• 2009-2010: 2.2 (19) 1.2 (69) 1.1 (52) 0.6 (21)
• 2010-2011: 2.9 (19) 1.5 (69) 1.6 (52) 0.6 (21)
NBA TV, launched by the league in 1999, is available to approximately 12 million
subscribers of cable and satellite sports tiers. The network broadcasts 96 regular-
season games that are not included in its broadcast rights deals with networks.
23.7 Social Media
According to SportsBusiness Journal (April 2011), based on data from Coyle
Media (www.coylemedia.com), the NBA has 2.46 million followers on Twitter and 8.23
million on Facebook. The social media following for teams is as follows:
Twitter Facebook
• Atlanta Hawks: 21,968 119,081
• Boston Celtics: 163,676 3,949,904
• Charlotte Bobcats: 20,524 60,939
• Chicago Bulls: 112,249 1,949,103
• Cleveland Cavaliers: 65,208 669,770
• Dallas Mavericks: 48,921 439,799
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• Denver Nuggets: 41,123 530,254
• Detroit Pistons: 26,226 251,026
• Golden State Warriors: 25,700 203,337
• Houston Rockets: 42,415 306,261
• Indiana Pacers: 22,787 84,273
• Los Angeles Clippers: 34,475 77,865
• Los Angeles Lakers: 1,944,384 7,633,612
• Memphis Grizzlies: 23,882 54,419
• Miami Heat: 140,828 2,099,736
• Milwaukee Bucks: 22,524 137,442
• Minnesota Timberwolves: 18,524 79,813
• New Jersey Nets: 38,782 103,223
• New Orleans Hornets: 26,140 33,912
• New York Knicks: 93,409 806,243
• Oklahoma City Thunder: 38,075 371,321
• Orlando Magic: 1,061,001 771,877
• Philadelphia 76ers: 31,229 154,015
• Phoenix Suns: 61,031 425,986
• Portland Trailblazers: 32,600 252,356
• Sacramento Kings: 23,295 116,935
• San Antonio Spurs: 56,743 612,260
• Toronto Raptors: 30,693 204,690
• Utah Jazz: 36,090 229,750
• Washington Wizards: 25,563 77,556
23.8 NBA Finals
The following are recent ratings of NBA Finals broadcasts (sources: Nielsen
Media Research, SportsBusiness Journal, and USA Today):
• 2007 (ABC): 6.2 (4 telecasts) 9.3 million viewers
• 2008 (ABC): 9.3 (6 telecasts) 14.9 million viewers
• 2009 (ABC): 8.4 (5 telecasts) 14.3 million viewers
• 2010 (ABC): 10.6 (7 telecasts) 18.1 million viewers
• 2011 (ABC): 10.2 (6 telecasts) 17.4 million viewers
Viewership for each of the six games in the 2011 NBA Finals, won by the Dallas
Mavericks, was as follows:
Game Rating Share View ers
1 9.0 15 15.2 million
2 9.3 16 15.5 million
3 9.1 15 15.3 million
4 9.6 16 16.1 million
5 10.8 19 18.3 million
6 13.3 22 23.9 million
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23.9 NBA All-Star Game
Recent NBA All-Star games have had the following viewership on TNT (Source:
Nielsen Media Research and SportsBusiness Journal):
• 2007: 6.8 million
• 2008: 6.3 million
• 2009: 7.6 million
• 2010: 6.8 million
• 2011: 9.1 million
23.10 Sponsorships
NBA marketing partners are Adidas, AutoTrader.com, Budweiser (Anheuser-
Busch), BBVA, Cisco, Dasani (Coca-Cola Co.), EA Sports, FedEx, Gatorade (PepsiCo),
Hewlett-Packard, Haier, Kia Motors, Lamasil (Novartis Pharmaceutical), Lenovo,
McDonald’s, Nike, Minute Maid (Coca-Cola Co.), Right Guard, Southwest Airlines,
Spaulding, Sprite (Coca-Cola Co.), T-Mobile, Toyota, Wrigley, and Sirius XM Satellite
Radio.
23.11 Fan Demographics
According to an ESPN Sports Poll, NBA fan distribution is as follows:
Gender
• Men: 60%
• Women: 40%
Age
• 12-to-17: 16%
• 18-to-24: 15%
• 25-to-34: 18%
• 35-to-44: 13%
• 45-to-54: 18%
• 55 and older: 21%
Ethnicity
• Caucasian: 65%
• African-American: 15%
• Hispanic-American: 14%
• Other: 6%
23.12 Market Resources
National Basketball Association, 645 5th Avenue, New York, NY 10022.
(212) 407-8000. (www.nba.com)
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