LeBron James' Lakers Move Negatively Affecting TV Ratings For TNT, ESPN

LeBron James continues to make an impact off the court as his move to the Los Angeles Lakers has negatively affected television ratings. James made the blockbuster move to the Lakers on a four-year deal in the summer of 2018 and was expected to bring the glory years back to the Staples Center.

The move was big for a number of reasons and one of them was the fact that the 33-year-old would be playing in the Western Conference for the first time in his career. Would he be able to return the Lakers to the postseason playing in a stacked conference featuring the likes of the Golden State Warriors, Houston Rockets and more?

His move to the Western Conference has, in turn, also hurt television ratings one month into the 2018/19 season, particularly during the early-window primetime NBA telecasts.

According to Austin Karp of Sports Business Daily, NBA viewership is down 26 percent on TNT, with the network experiencing its slowest start to a season in at least a decade with an average of 1.79 million viewers after 12 telecasts.

That's because with James playing in the West now, he features more on the later time slots, hurting the viewership of the earlier telecasts. TNT is averaging 1.61 million viewers in its early windows, compared to 2.75 million viewers at the same point last season, which featured two James' games compared to zero this year.

ESPN meanwhile, has suffered a six percent drop after 18 telecasts, averaging 1.69 million viewers compared to 1.79 million at this point last year. Their early window, though, has seen a 16 percent drop, especially with three James' games at this point last year compared to zero this year.

Los Angeles-based network Spectrum SportsNet, on the other hand, has seen a 38 percent gain in viewership.

This should be expected. Without James, the Eastern Conference has lost a lot of glamor and star power.

While Kawhi Leonard joined the Toronto Raptors this summer and has helped them remain dominant in the regular season with a 17-4 record, Canada's viewership is not factored into the Nielsen ratings.

The Milwaukee Bucks (14-6) is a small market while the Boston Celtics have struggled this season with an 11-10 record. However, both TNT and ESPN expect to close the gap as the season progresses, due to the bigger games heading their way.

Regardless, it further amplifies why James is not only the best, but most popular player in the league today. Television ratings are one thing, but the Akron, Ohio, native also affects the economies of cities. When he announced his return to the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2014, ticket prices spiked while his presence in the city as well as his time at the Miami Heat resulted in increased restaurant revenues and job creation.

According to FormSwift, James' arrival in Los Angeles was estimated to create almost 3,000 new jobs, a 5-year local economic impact of nearly $400 million, and a 5-year state tax revenue of nearly $30 million.