The NHL struck gold with its 4 Nations All-Star Face-Off this year, reigniting fan excitement, while the NBA’s All-Star events have faded into irrelevance.
The NHL’s 4 Nations Tournament Championship delivered a massive ratings win, with ESPN’s broadcast pulling in 9.3 million U.S. viewers — the most-watched non-Olympic hockey game ever, as reported on OutKick.
Adding Canadian viewership, the total soared to 16.1 million, nearly rivaling Game 7 of last year’s Stanley Cup Final between the Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers, as OutKick’s Matt Reigle noted.
READ: 4 Nations Championship Ratings Were Gargantuan; Set Incredible Record
In contrast, the NBA’s All-Star Game in February limped to just 4.7 million viewers, a 13 percent drop from the previous season.
Similarly, recent NBA Finals have seen dwindling viewership, underscoring the league’s struggle to retain its audience.
Inspired by the NHL’s success, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver is eyeing a bold change to reverse this slide for the 2026 All-Star festivities in Los Angeles.
He’s considering a USA vs. World format, capitalizing on the game’s broadcast on NBC during the Winter Olympics at the LA Clippers’ Intuit Dome.
READ: NBA Commissioner Adam Silver Admits New All-Star Format Was A Huge Miss
As The Athletic reported, Silver and NBA President of League Operations Byron Spruell revealed in New York on Monday that discussions with NBC are underway for an “international competition” format.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
Silver highlighted the opportunity, stating, “Our All-Star Game will return to NBC next season in the middle of their coverage of the Winter Olympics.
“Given the strong interest we’ve seen in international basketball competitions, most recently in last summer’s Olympics in Paris, we’re discussing concepts with the players’ association that focus on NBA players representing their countries or regions instead of the more traditional formats that we’ve used in the past.”
When it comes to the NBA’s desperate need to try new gimmicks to revive interest, identifying the key problems that led to losing fans is an interesting discussion.
READ: Miami Heat Lose In Disgusting Fashion, Will Make You Give Up NBA Basketball
The league’s focus on social issues has alienated fans and, by extension, affected showcase events, further distancing core fans due to political controversies.
More important than the NBA’s formatting is whether this new approach will encourage players to try harder, which has also ruined the NBA All-Star Weekend.
The All-Star Game has devolved into a three-point shooting clash with no defense played at all, reflecting the embarrassing lack of effort from the league’s biggest stars.
(You can only put lipstick on a pig so many times.)
Send us your thoughts: alejandro.avila@outkick.com / Follow along on X: @alejandroaveela
