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The Cavaliers are off to one of the greatest starts to an NBA season with 15 wins in a row, tied for the second-longest undefeated streak to open a campaign. But with nearly 20% of the season already done, most of the country has yet to see Cleveland play.
The Cavs have played just one of their eight nationally televised games (not including NBA TV) so far this season—an ESPN game against the Magic on Nov. 1. The undefeated storyline was not yet a big deal at the time, since it was Cleveland’s sixth game of the season, and the game drew only 912,000 viewers, 30% less than ESPN’s average to start the year.
However, NBA fans will get a clear look at the Cavs on Tuesday when they visit the defending-champion Celtics on TNT in an Emirates NBA Cup 2024 showdown between the Eastern Conference’s top two teams.
The matchup allows the league to continue clawing back from a rough ratings start to the year. TNT viewership is down about 3% versus this time last year, while ESPN viewership has declined by 28%.
The NBA has faced some hurdles, including injuries to stars like Joel Embiid and Kawhi Leonard, and having to compete with the World Series and the election. But there have been some positive signs over the last two weeks, as the national TV debut of Steph Curry and the NBA Cup openers have seen big viewership bumps.
The league can build on that momentum entering Tuesday’s games, especially since its biggest TV competition for the night is an NCAA men’s basketball doubleheader on FS1.
Chasing History
Before the beginning of the year, the Cavaliers would not be one of the top teams selected to start the year 15–0. While Cleveland did advance to the second round last season, it didn’t make any major roster changes and was projected to win under 50 games.
The Cavaliers executed three critical moves in the offseason. They signed Donovan Mitchell to a three-year, $150.3 million extension, putting an end to a circus of uncertainty around the five-time All-Star’s future. They also extended Evan Mobley to a five-year, $224 million deal. But perhaps the most consequential was to replace head coach J.B. Bickerstaff with former Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson—a catalyst for the team’s hot start as it has the No. 1 offense in the league after finishing 16th last year. Bickerstaff is now coaching the Pistons, who are 7–8.
“This is a selfless team and has been since we got together,” Mitchell said. “Kenny has been phenomenal with us on it, and he’s continuing to trust us.”
Due to the winning streak, the Cavs are up 52% in local viewership, the highest year-over-year increase on a regional sports network this season for any NBA team. NBA League Pass subscriptions are also up 162% in the state of Ohio.
A win Tuesday would give the Cavs sole possession of the second-longest undefeated start to a season, and they would be two-thirds of the way to tying the all-time record: 24–0 by the Warriors in 2015–2016.
Cleveland is also set up for long-term success with its current core. Mitchell, Darius Garland, Jarrett Allen, and Evan Mobley are all 28 or younger—and signed until at least the 2027–2028 season.
The Cavs are far from the dreaded second-apron salary cap threshold and its wide-ranging penalties, and they are even below the first apron this season. On the other hand, the Celtics, while the favorites to win back-to-back titles, are projected for a $500 million payroll next year and are well above the second apron, which could completely hamper their success in the long term.
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