Report: Denver Nuggets to hit lowest TV ratings in 15 years

The Denver Nuggets currently have a 0.19 TV rating according to a report from Sports Business Journal. It’ll be the lowest NBA local ratings the Nuggets have had in 15 years.

The report comes less than a year after the debacle between the local broadcaster, Altitude Sports, and several large TV providers.

The dispute was settled during the playoffs last season but it only happened after Game 4 of the first-round series between the Nuggets and Portland Trail Blazers.

As Nugg Love contributor Alex Murray wrote at the time:

"“And after media conglomerates with enormous revenue like Dish and Comcast (who are in the mix to buy off a large portion of AT&T’s regional sports networks, which would put them in an even stronger position against the smaller Altitude Sports) caused loyal fans to miss a darn playoff game, something indeed gave.“The sides agreed to a ceasefire just before last week’s Game 5, which would also have been blacked out if not for the 11th-hour agreement between Kroenke Sports & Entertainment (KSE) and the NBA to lift the league’s broadcast restrictions for the game. KSE in particular surely wanted to stop the bad PR after the firestorm they just went through across the pond with their disgraceful ‘Super League’ fiasco.”"

Discussions between Altitude and Comcast towards a contract resolution are ongoing according to The Denver Post.

The rating report in Sports Business Journal has the bottom-five teams as the Nuggets, Orlando Magic, LA Clippers, Brooklyn Nets, and Charlotte Hornets. The top three teams are the Golden State Warriors, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Philadelphia 76ers.

This year will be the fifth time in six years that the Warriors have held the top spot.

In a normal world, the Denver Nuggets, who are playing some of the most exciting basketball right now with MVP Nikola Jokic chasing after his second MVP trophy, should be much higher in TV ratings. They’re not a little brother team (Nets, Clippers) and with a solid playoff spot, are paying important basketball.

Plus, every now and again Jokic puts on performances like this:

That’s prime TV viewing. It should be for all Nuggets fans to enjoy, regardless of where they’re watching it.

All we can do is sit back and hope that there’s a resolution soon.