The first two nights of the second round of the NBA playoffs will feature significant overlap between matchups.
On Monday, NBC and Peacock will carry Game 1 of the 76ers vs. Knicks at 8 p.m. ET. Peacock will stream Timberwolves vs. Spurs at 9:30 p.m.
On Tuesday, NBC and Peacock will air Lakers vs. Thunder at 9:30 p.m.. Peacock will stream Cavaliers vs. Pistons at 7 p.m.
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NBA fans are not pleased with the scheduling quirk. For years, doubleheaders on ESPN and TNT were staggered so the second game started when the first ended, or close to it.
But overlap was the risk the NBA ran when it partnered with NBC this season. Since opening night, NBC has avoided airing games before 8 p.m. ET on weeknights. It also does not want Central Time teams like the Spurs and Thunder tipping off as late as 9:30 pm local time.
Further, fans will not be pleased to learn they still need two streaming services — Peacock and Amazon — in addition to NBC, ESPN and ABC to watch the second round.
It just keeps getting harder, more confusing and more expensive to consume live sports at home. That will eventually cause viewers to tune out.
Perhaps it already has.
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Despite the NBA touting a 33-year high for the first round, OutKick explained last week why that is a spin. In fact, playoff viewership is more likely down than up. You can read that column here.
It also does not help that at least two of the second-round series are not expected to be competitive. According to DraftKings Sportsbook, the Thunder are -1600 to beat the Lakers. The Spurs are -425 to advance past the Timberwolves. The Spurs were even larger favorites earlier Monday before Anthony Edwards was cleared to play.
DraftKings lists the Knicks winning in five games over the 76ers at +320, the most likely outcome for that series. Pistons vs. Cavaliers, likely the least appealing matchup, is projected to be the longest series.
None of this is ideal.
It’s worth noting that YouTube TV users may not mind the overlap, at least not as much as the fans with other providers.
Last week, the service introduced a customizable multiview feature that lets users choose which channels appear on screen. The feature allows users to watch two NBA games at once in a split screen, or expand to a four-box view to include NHL playoff games.
Note: All NBA games streaming on Peacock are available on YouTube TV via the NBC Sports channel.
Alas, just let us watch the games.
