2025 NBA All-Star Game ratings plummet to 2nd lowest in history

Feb 16, 2025; San Francisco, CA, USA; Shaq’s OGs guard Stephen Curry (30) of the Golden State Warriors shoots against Chuck’s Global Stars center Nikola Jokic (15) of the Denver Nuggets during the 2025 NBA All Star Game at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

Trying out a new format for the NBA All-Star Game apparently didn’t sit well with the masses, with this year’s edition of the event bringing in the second-fewest average viewers, Front Office Sports reported Wednesday.

Only the 2023 All-Star Game averaged less viewers (4.6 million) than the 4.7 million who tuned into this year’s on TNT platforms. There was a 13 percent dip in viewership compared to 2024.

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Instead of having one singular game, the league ran a four-team tournament that featured three games. The first squad to reach 40 points in each game would be declared the winner, and Team Shaq (coached by Shaquille O’Neal) ended up on top after beating Team Rising Stars and Team Chuck (Charles Barkley as coach).

Each of the past three All-Star Games have failed to garner an average audience of six million. No All-Star Game prior to those had come up short of that mark.

All-Star festivities on Saturday night — Skills Challenge, 3-Point Contest, Slam Dunk Contest — were also a dud. Those events averaged 3.4 million viewers, setting an all-time low. –Field Level Media