The Denver Nuggets have a problem so big even Nikola Jokic’s MVP numbers aren’t helping
Nikola Jokic is having another MVP season for the Denver Nuggets, but locals aren't tuning in to watch
The reigning MVP Nikola Jokic alone should be enough for the fans to tune in to watch the Denver Nuggets. However, the opposite is happening.
Jokic can’t save the Nuggets
According to Sports Business Journal, very few fans are watching the Nuggets' games. In fact, Denver is on par to become the least-watched NBA team on local TV in 15 years with a 0.19 average rating for the 2021-22 season.
Consider this: cellar-dwellers Orlando Magic and Detroit Pistons are watched by more people on local TV than the Nuggets. This is baffling and disrespectful for The Joker, the team staff, and the coaches.
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If local fans stop watching and supporting the team, it could have undesirable consequences in the future.
Harder to lure star players to play with Jokic
Do the fans simply don’t watch the games? Is Denver that boring of a team? It turns out there’s a major reason fans can’t watch the Nuggets games: a broadcasting dispute that has been on for years now. Altitude Sports & Entertainment and providers Dish and Comcast have been at odds for years due to financial disagreements and frustrations from fans and players that reached their peak last year.
Fans won’t have access to the games assigned to Altitude if they don’t subscribe to DirecTV, limiting fans' options and holding everyone hostage. Kroenke Sports & Entertainment owns both the Nuggets and Altitude.
As long as the higher-ups don’t prioritize the welfare of fans, it’s going to be a lose-lose situation for everyone. It’s such a waste not to show the peak years of Jokic for the local fans to admire and appreciate. The team and the fans deserve better.
