Analyst makes strong Caitlin Clark case against LeBron James & Co. amid viewership decline

The NBA's viewership has been plummeting over the past few seasons and an NBA insider believes a player like Caitlin Clark can solve the problem. On Wednesday, Bill Simmons discussed the league's issue with viewership. Despite having LeBron James and other household names, the NBA has faced challenges in boosting its numbers.

While there are many reasons fans and the media can point to, Simmons isn't worried. According to him, the decline in viewership has always been a part of the league. On a recent episode of his show, "The Bill Simmons Show," the media personality said a star player like the WNBA's Clark could improve the NBA's ratings.

“Everybody thinks the NBA is in trouble, this is just the DNA of the league, and here’s what’s gonna happen,” Simmons said. “There’s gonna be some new — a new player comes in, some new team, some new event. It’s going to shift this. And that’s what the NBA needs right now. I don’t know what that’s going to be, but I’m gonna bet on the 80-year history of the league."

Simmons argued that interest in the NBA hasn't declined but noted that what’s lacking is a player who captivates audiences and compels them to tune in.

“This is an American problem," Simmons said. "People are losing interest in America because you can follow the league without really watching it. So, the ratings are down, but I’m not sure the interest is down. What they’re missing, ironically, is what women’s college basketball with the WNBA had."

“Where Caitlin became somebody the people just wanted to watch… She’s more valuable that anyone in the NBA has because she’s the only must-watch basketball player right now other than the old guys in the NBA. So, they have to figure out — what is their unicorn moment?”

The league has several young stars including Victor Wembanyama, Anthony Edwards, LaMelo Ball and more, but no athlete has captivated fans as much as Clark.

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Caitlin Clark improved the ratings of the WNBA in her rookie year

Of the seven TV partners of the WNBA, all have benefitted from Caitlin Clark. They’ve seen an increase in viewership every time Clark played a game. For ESPN, the game they covered between the Indiana Fever and Chicago Sky garnered 2.3 million views.

Another Fever vs. Sky game that CBS televised attracted 2.25 million viewers. Fever's game against the Seattle Storm had 2.2 million viewers. Even during the WNBA draft, people paid close attention.

In the 2024 season, Caitlin Clark drew significant attention in nearly every game she played, appearing in 20 of the 23 games that surpassed a million viewers.