The Nets' 0-14 start has driven their TV ratings down 41% from last season

Despite reports that the New York Knicks were “90 percent” on signing guard Allen Iverson, the team opted not to sign the former MVP. Maybe it was team chemistry, maybe it was Iverson’s past disputes with coaches, but it certainly wasn’t a move (or lack thereof) to improve TV ratings, according to the New York Times. So far this season, the Knicks TV numbers have been as their record, bad. The team is 2-9 and ratings on MSG are down from 1.23 (or 91,000 local TV households) to .88 (less than 65,000) over the same time period as last year.

The lowest rating for a Knicks broadcast this season was a .53 against the Milwaukee Bucks. The highest, a 1.42 against the Charlotte Bobcats on Oct. 30, barely eclipsed last season’s average. Not even LeBron James could make people watch the Knicks, drawing just a 1.30 in the Nov. 6 Knicks vs. Cleveland Cavilers matchup. Their current average TV rating is a .88.

The Knickerbockers aren’t the only franchise struggling for viewership. The 0-14 New Jersey Nets would kill for a .88, the Nets average rating is currently a .31 (23,000 viewers), down 41 percent from last season. The lowest rating came Nov. 11 against the Philadelphia 76ers when the YES Network scored a .17.

Speaking of TV and the lowest of the lowly NBA teams, the Minnesota Timberwolves may have set a record for the earliest in a season to ever get bumped from national television due to performance. ESPN elected to replace the T’Wolves vs. Phoenix Suns game Friday with Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Milwaukee Bucks. The decision was presumably made based on Minnesota’s 1-12 start mixed with the early success of rookie Brandon Jennings.

What can these teams do? CNBC’s sports business reporter Darren Rovell suggested the Nets sign a Harlem Globetrotter or have David Blaine sit on the Izon Center until the team wins. Outside of winning games, that’s about all they can do.

(THE BIZ OF FOOTBALL)

• Tony Dungy Leads New NFL Player Advisory Forum
• Jon Gruden Signs Mult-Year Extension with ESPN
• At Midseason, NFL TV Ratings Exceptionally Strong
• Boise St. Engages PR Firm in Attempt to Gain BCS Game
• Does the NFL Salary Cap Still Work?

(THE BIZ OF HOCKEY)

• Relocating NHL Franchises to Canada
• Inside the Numbers: The 2009 Forbes NHL Valuations
• NHLPA Votes to Create Two Committees, Approves Donald Fehr to Assist in Exec. Dir. Search
• The NHL Works to Address Head Hits

(THE BIZ OF BASEBALL)

• MLB Can't Have Their Cake and Eat it Too (Revenue-Sharing)
• Pujols Wins 3rd NL MVP Award by Unanimous Vote
• Twins' Joe Mauer Wins AL MVP
• The Economics of Sports: An Interview with Roger Noll
• Free Agent Buzz: Bay, Lackey, Holliday, Chapman
• Site Update: MLB Revenue-Sharing Figures ('02-'03, '05)

(SPORTS BASH)

• Because It's Good For You: Rob Neyer

Matthew Coller is a staff member of the Business of Sports Network, and is a freelance writer. He can be followed on Twitter

Follow The Biz of Basketball on Twitter

Follow the Business of Sports Network on Facebook