The 2019 NBA Playoffs Are Creating An Unprecedented Number of Bets
The 2019 NBA playoffs are in full swing, and basketball fans from around the world are placing wagers on the action. After an estimated $8.5 billion dollars wagered on 2019’s March Madness, PayPerHead.com, the industry’s leading sportsbook software company, is expecting a sharp increase of wagers throughout this year’s NBA playoffs, significantly surpassing last year’s numbers.
“This is the first year that basketball fans are legally allowed bet on the NBA playoffs in specific states, making this year’s playoffs one of the most significant within the industry,” explained Nate Johnson, Product Manager of PayPerHead.com. “Even though some of the larger names in basketball aren’t in this year’s playoffs – like Lebron James – we’re still seeing increased betting action and demand from our agents.”
As the Per Head and Sportsbook industries are looking towards an unprecedented amount of bets for this year’s NBA playoffs, many sports media outlets are citing an overall decrease of viewership during the playoffs. Sports journalists are reporting that viewership of the 2019 NBA playoffs have decreased by 18% from the previous year, claiming that the lack of Lebron James and the LA Lakers are the main cause.
“While it’s true that viewership has decreased for early playoff rounds, we’re not expecting this trend to continue into the later rounds.” Johnson explained. “This year’s NBA regular season experienced record numbers of social and streaming viewership. It’s not that people aren’t watching the games, they’re just watching them on different platforms.”
This year, the NBA’s social media accounts experienced an increase in audience and overall engagement. The NBA’s Instagram account grew from 600 million views in February to 681 million in March. The growth also extends to viewership outside of the United States. According to the NBA, the Toronto Raptors set a broadcast viewership record in Canada this year, increasing by 29% across Sportsnet and TSN.
“Even though we’re seeing a slight and temporary decline in 2019 NBA playoff viewership in the United States, it’s clear that sports betting legalization, social engagement and outside viewership are creating the ‘perfect storm’ for an unprecedented amount of wagers,” said Johnson.
