August 8, 2011
With the distinct possibility of a prolonged NBA Lockout, we decided to look at the economic implications of both a full and a half season of lost ticket sales, for each team and the league overall. To do this, we used the below calculation:
After running the math, it is no surprise to see the biggest markets would be affected the most. The list is below. For a Google docs version of the data, click here.
As for the league-wide impact, for a full season, NBA teams would collectively lose $184 million. This compares to the $340 million loss that NFL would have had in the event of a full season lockout. With the NFL, though, there was always a sense that we were witnessing a negotiation, bound to end in resolution. With the NBA, the feeling is different. We’re obviously pulling as hard as anyone for the full 81 games, but are sad to admit that a 50 game season--and a mere loss of $74.5 million--would be a big win.
