Post Reports – "The NBA season just started. Is anyone watching?"

Podcast: Post Reports (The Washington Post)
Airdate: October 22, 2025
Host: Ava Wallace
Guest: Ben Golliver, NBA writer for The Washington Post

Episode Overview

This episode delves into the NBA’s shifting landscape as the 2025-26 season tips off, focusing on declining U.S. television viewership, adjustments to broadcast strategy, the league’s globalization efforts, and key on-court storylines for the new season. Ava Wallace and Ben Golliver break down how the league hopes to revive fan engagement amid generational change, and preview which teams and players will define this year's action.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Declining NBA Viewership & Shifting U.S. Attention

[00:02–03:48]

• NBA viewership in the U.S. is down significantly from its 1990s peak, despite the league’s prominent cultural and social media presence.
  • Ben Golliver: “Almost 29 million people tuned in for game one of [the 1998 Finals]. For game one of the Finals this past year, that number was down to about 10 million.” [01:49]
• The NBA recognizes cord-cutting as a core challenge—most games are still on cable, distancing younger viewers not subscribing to traditional TV.
• This season, the NBA is “cutting the cord” by expanding beyond cable:
  • Returning games to NBC network TV
  • Streaming via Peacock and Amazon (international distribution focus)
• NBA’s broadcast strategy is to ensure games are as widely accessible as possible once more.

2. Changing the Broadcast Product

[03:48–05:15]

• With the league’s “hot take” culture and 82-game grind, broadcasts are shifting focus:
  • More educational content (explaining X’s and O’s) to entice casual/new fans.
  • A more positive tone from broadcasters, promoting and celebrating rising stars.
• Concern over the lack of new American superstar faces to succeed LeBron, Curry, and Durant.
  • Ben Golliver: “The broadcasters are going to be tasked…with being a little bit more positive. We'll see what viewers think.” [05:10]
• Anthony Edwards is highlighted as a possible face for U.S. fans moving forward.

3. Rise of International Players & Global Aspirations

[05:25–08:12]

• NBA’s international makeup is at an all-time high: 135 international players from 43 countries, with 71 from Europe.
  • Last U.S.-born MVP was James Harden in 2018.
• Global fan interest and talent pipeline cement basketball as the world’s second sport after soccer.
  • Ben Golliver: “Basketball has been probably the biggest global sport…other than soccer… All you need is a ball and a rim.” [06:39]
• The 1992 Dream Team’s global influence remains foundational, impacting several generations from Europe, Asia, and beyond.
  • Recent international powerhouses: Serbia, Slovenia, Germany, France, Spain.
  • NBA’s global growth is not just cultural but a core business strategy under Adam Silver.

4. NBA’s Relationship with China

[08:12–11:00]

• NBA resumed preseason games in China for the first time since 2019.
• 2019 saw a rift after Rockets GM Daryl Morey tweeted support for Hong Kong protesters:
  • Ben Golliver: “Unfortunately, in 2019…Daryl Morey…had a tweet essentially expressing support for Hong Kong protesters… The Chinese government did not like that, and they essentially canceled the NBA.” [09:09]
• The NBA lost TV distribution and thus significant revenue; tensions have eased, allowing broadcasts to resume.
• Phenomenal Chinese interest is highlighted by rookie Yong Hansen’s Vegas summer league games drawing 5 million Chinese TV viewers—an NBA Christmas-game-level audience.

5. Potential NBA Europe Expansion

[11:00–12:17]

• The NBA is eyeing a more formal presence in Europe, potentially launching an “NBA Europe” league by 2027/28.
  • Ben Golliver: “They’re hoping to launch this league by 2027 or 2028.” [12:17]
• This would build on European club traditions (like Real Madrid) and create an NBA-branded, pan-European league with crossover opportunities.
• The plan is not to replace Euroleague but to expand NBA’s direct involvement and branding in Europe.

6. 2025-26 Season Preview: Teams and Players to Watch

[14:31–21:33]

- Oklahoma City Thunder: The Team to Beat?

• Thunder are defending champions; MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander leads a returning, young core.
• Unique defensive intensity in the modern NBA.
  • Ben Golliver: “Oklahoma City says not so fast. We're going to make it hard for you even to dribble the ball up the court against us, because we love playing defense so much.” [15:57]
• Built organically in a small market, seen as a feel-good success story.

- Western Conference Standouts

• Denver Nuggets: Always a threat thanks to Nikola Jokic (“the best player in the world…biggest, smartest, best passer” [17:44]).
• Houston Rockets: Surprise playoff team, now trading for veteran Kevin Durant to add elite experience to its youth.
• Other teams: Dallas (Cooper Flagg), San Antonio (Victor Wembanyama), LA Lakers (Luka Doncic, LeBron James).

- Eastern Conference Frustration

• Conference marred by injuries to top stars (Jayson Tatum, Tyrese Haliburton).
• Cleveland Cavaliers and New York Knicks expected to be the class of the East:
  • Cleveland: “Best in the Eastern Conference last year…play beautiful basketball…” [20:26]
  • New York: Returned to the final four after 25 years, retooled under new coach Mike Brown for a more dynamic offense.
• Young teams (Orlando, Atlanta, Detroit) mentioned as intriguing but not favorites.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the NBA’s shifting business:
  “The idea for the NBA is basically they’re…cutting the cord. I mean, they’re still going to have games on ESPN, but they’re definitely trying to reorient their broadcast strategy towards network television and streaming.”
  — Ben Golliver [03:30]

• On global influence & China’s impact:
  “When NBA players go to China, they just get like…like they’re all Taylor Swift over there.”
  — Ben Golliver [08:51]

• On Oklahoma City’s emergence:
  “If they [Thunder] do [repeat], it’s going to be a real success story because so much of the NBA’s history is about these big glamorous franchises…and Oklahoma City is one of the smallest markets. They’ve built it all organically.”
  — Ben Golliver [15:35]

• On the East-West Conference gap:
  “It’s gotten so bad that I don’t even wanna pound my chest about it anymore. It’s like, I feel sorry. I feel sympathy for the Eastern Conference…”
  — Ben Golliver [20:02]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:02 — State of the NBA: Viewership & Superstar Succession
• 01:49 — Declining U.S. TV ratings and causes
• 03:48 — New broadcast and streaming strategy
• 04:09 — Strategy shift: “Educate and celebrate” NBA broadcasts
• 05:25 — U.S. vs. international stars; Anthony Edwards spotlight
• 06:12 — NBA’s global expansion and player pipeline
• 08:12 — NBA’s relationship with China & its implications
• 11:00 — NBA’s ambitions in Europe (“NBA Europe”)
• 14:31 — On-court preview: Oklahoma City Thunder and contenders
• 17:35 — Western Conference challengers
• 19:32 — Eastern Conference injuries and likely leaders

Tone and Style

The tone is conversational, analytical, and at times wryly humorous—particularly in its discussion of the East-West disparity and the cultural quirks of NBA fandom abroad. Both hosts use clear, direct language with an eye for both detail and big-picture trends. The episode combines data, storytelling, and forward-looking speculation, presenting a nuanced snapshot of the NBA at a pivotal moment.

This summary should equip non-listeners with a clear grasp of the episode’s substance, the NBA’s current challenges and opportunities, and the narrative arcs to watch in the 2025-26 season.