The NBA ratings problem has officially hit the players' pockets.
According to a report by Kurt Badenhausen of Sportico, NBA players will forfeit over $480 million from their escrow fund.
The league failed to meet its projections for basketball-related revenue for the 2024-25 season. The new CBA allows the NBA to withhold up to 10 percent of players' salaries to make sure the revenue split stays at 51 percent for the players.
As a result, the players will keep just 90.9 percent of their projected salaries from last season. Notably, that means that those who make the most money will also take the biggest hit:
"Stephen Curry, the NBA's highest-paid player at $55.8 million, will forfeit $5.1 million from the escrow fund. Other star players facing significant cuts include Joel Embiid ($4.7 million), Nikola Jokic ($4.7 million), Bradley Beal ($4.6 million), and Kevin Durant ($4.5 million)," reported Badenhausen.
Of course, that's pocket change for successful superstars and entrepreneurs like the aforementioned, but it's still something to keep a close eye on going forward.
Badenhausen adds that the league's projected revenue took a big hit due to "choppy local media environment, and multiple small-market teams reaching the playoffs."
There was a lot of talk regarding the big hit in ratings as well, but the league should do just fine after inking a massive media rights deal that will pocket them $77 billion over the next eleven years.
Even so, Commissioner Adam Silver will be under a lot of pressure to make sure to drive eyeballs back to the league.