Amidst viewership crisis, Adam Silver advised to make ‘fighting’ legal in NBA

DeMarcus Cousins thinks Adam Silver needs to bring back fighting to the NBA in order to boost its viewership ratings.

Amidst viewership crisis, Adam Silver advised to make ‘fighting’ legal in NBA

NBA commissioner Adam Silver needs to bring excitement back into the league

The NBA just signed a $76 billion media rights deal in the offseason. That money is supposed to come as the networks capture the league’s global audience to increase their ratings and profits. But after the abysmal viewership numbers at the start of the 2025-26 season, former All-Star DeMarcus Cousins has a solution for Adam Silver.

This discussion on Run it Back hosted by FanDuel TV came about as ratings for the opening night games fell nearly 42%. Last season, Victor Wembanyama‘s debut helped the league garner massive opening night numbers. But other than that, a few other games also managed to surpass 2 million viewers.

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This could be a trend as the NBA Finals without the likes of superstars Stephen Curry and LeBron James have continuously lost viewers. Fans and players believe the league is not doing enough to bring excitement to the game. Considering that, DeMarcus Cousins gave a suggestion.

If I was running things, I wouldn’t mind a little 2-minute fighting session. Give the guys a few moments to get it off their chest and get back to the game. I think it’s entertaining and I think it’s great for sports, only the strong survive. I think it would be entertaining, and it would definitely boost the ratings.

DeMarcus Cousins on Run It Back

His suggestion is similar to what happens in the NHL where players are given time outside of the clock to take out their frustrations. But saying it is easier than doing it, considering NBA players don’t wear protective gear like hockey players do, which brings up the possibility of injuries, both short and long-term.

What Adam Silver needs to do to increase viewership in the NBA

While his solution might be radical and something teams may not like, it could suggest something milder. For instance, officials have been eager to blow the whistle far too often. That has taken the edge away from the game, something that was a staple for competitiveness up until the early 2010s.

Many fans and former players have been vocal about the league becoming too soft and lacking defense. Some feel it is to make the game more globally appealing where foreign stars can also play well. But these rating drops say it is not helping the league. A bit more feistiness, something akin to what the WNBA still allows should bring back that edge and competitiveness that excites fans.

The other problem showing up late is the lack of fundamentals from newer players. This has led teams to rely more and more on three-pointers to score points. But this also means that as it becomes easier to score threes, it could take the excitement out of it.

One Stephen Curry launching a three does excite fans. But it was not the same when the Boston Celtics made it a norm. Forcing players to stay longer in college could help counter that. Else those networks holding the $76 billion could force Adam Silver to have some serious conversations.