NBA fans on Monday weren't eager to give up potentially damaging information to Mark Cuban.
The billionaire Dallas Mavericks owner took to Twitter Monday night during the Miami Heat's Game 7 win over the Boston Celtics to ask how many fans were watching the game through an illegal stream.
Naturally, Twitter users reacted skeptically, with many jokingly accusing Cuban of being a cop or calling him "Narc Cuban."
—Molly Morrison (@mollyhannahm) May 30, 2023
—Shea Serrano (@SheaSerrano) May 30, 2023
—Ballsack Sports (@BallsackSports) May 30, 2023
—PFT Commenter (@PFTCommenter) May 30, 2023
—derek davison (@dwdavison) May 30, 2023
—Trevor Norris (@trevor_norris0) May 30, 2023
—Kris (@5kl) May 30, 2023
—Shaq #RIPKB24 (@LordMeliodas_) May 30, 2023
Illegal steams or not, this NBA postseason has been good for TV ratings: Sports Video Group reported that the NBA playoffs have been ESPN's most-watched in 11 years.
Meanwhile, Bloomberg reported that the NBA's next TV rights deal is expected to nearly double. Currently, Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery pay about $2.7 billion a year combined to televise games — it's expected that the next deal will cost over $5 billion per year.
Even with people potentially watching illegal streams of games, the league appears to be in good shape.
