The sixth game of the NBA Finals, where the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Miami Heat to win the championship, received 8.29 million viewers. the NFL sunday night football game received 15.08 million viewers. The difference in viewership received heavy criticism, stating that the NBA was losing viewers to other sports leagues.
The viewership difference is similar to that of football games and basketball games at PV. In the fall, many students, parents and alumni attend football games, giving Friday night a “primetime slot.” The basketball games, however, do not attract nearly as many fans, producing less hype around the sport.
Senior Kyle Sehlin explained, “The environment of when many people of the community cheer on the PV Football team on Friday nights is very electric, because of the amount of people who attend.” This is one of the main reasons why attendance at football games are higher than basketball games, because the crowd is more active. In addition, performances from cheer, Platinum and other school events, like Homecoming, further fuel the excitement for the games.
Junior Ryan Thoreson commented, “Basketball is different, because there are more games scheduled throughout the week, giving people more opportunities to watch the game.” Even so, football games take place outdoors, giving more space and flexibility to watch. On the other hand, basketball games take place in the school gym, generating a more crowded feel for the audience due to the lack of space.
Although there are less viewers in basketball games, the school and fans try to produce a similar atmosphere as football games. The PV pep band and the dance team perform during multiple games, providing the opportunity for players and fans to get loud and cheer for the teams.
Band member Jacob Frankel frequently participates in these pep band performances. “I love attending pep bands, because I get to play exciting songs, as well as, hang out with my friends,” explained Frankel. Even though the basketball games do not have the same level of excitement as football games, they still allow people to have fun watching the game during the community event
With the winter season coming soon, students and families will have to keep the same energy they had for football games for basketball games, so the PV team can have an electrifying atmosphere surrounding the home court.
