A year after seeing TV ratings crash 65% to a league-worst 0.5 average rating, the Bucks and their ratings on Fox Sports Wisconsin are both seeing a major rebound. FS Wisconsin revealed on Tuesday that November ratings have the team on pace for its strongest ratings since the 10/11 season, with overall ratings quintupling full-season marks from 13/14. Via Fox Sports Wisconsin:
- Buck's telecasts through the month of November (18 games) are averaging a 2.52 household rating, representing a 270 percent increase during the same period in 2013/14 and +404 percent vs. the season average from a year ago.
- The Bucks-Brooklyn Nets game on November 19th is the highest rated to date with a 3.79HH rating.
- FOX Sports Wisconsin covers the entire state of Wisconsin, the Milwaukee DMA accounts for just 42 percent of the total Bucks viewing audience.
The Bucks haven't seen quite the same spike in actual game attendance, though the good news is that the team is at least seeing some progress at the gate. After finishing last in attendance a season ago, the Bucks' official attendance numbers have risen from an average of 13,487 last year to 14,484 (28th) through the first eight home games this year, including the team's first opening night sellout in seven years. Looking ahead, the real test will be in maintaining all the momentum from a strong start through a difficult December schedule and the cold winter months. After all, the Wisconsin winter doesn't exactly encourage people to leave their homes in January and February, and we've seen good starts from the Bucks give way to faltering finishes more than once.
The good news for fans is that the team isn't slowing its sales push either, as the past week saw additional ticket deals announced including five game packages for as little as $39. It's not clear how the current season compares in terms of gate receipts, though in the big picture it's difficult to see Jason Kidd's young team trending anywhere but up. Giannis, Jabari, new ownership, winning games...hey, we could get used to this, right?