The Orlando Magic saw an improvement on the court improving from 25 to 35 wins this past season. The Magic saw even bigger improvement on the TV viewership this season, showing interest in the team remains strong as the team continues to climb out of its rebuild.
According to Sports Buisness Daily’s John Ourand, the Orlando Magic had a 63 percent increase this season in TV viewership locally from last season which ranked as the second biggest improvement in the NBA behind only the defending champion Golden State Warriors.
Below is the chart of the six biggest improvements in local TV ratings by an NBA Team this past season.
AVG. RATING CHANGE
| TOP 6 | ||
| TEAM | RSN | CHANGE* (AVG. RATING) |
| Golden State Warriors | CSN Bay Area | +160% (9.76) |
| Orlando Magic | FS Florida | +63% (1.32) |
| New York Knicks | MSG | +58% (1.98) |
| Philadelphia 76ers | CSN Philadelphia | +40% (0.93) |
| Cleveland Cavaliers | FS Ohio | +17% (9.31) |
| Minnesota Timberwolves | FS North | +17% (1.35) |
That is a huge jump from last season when the Magic drew an average audience of 15,676 viewers during each game, the Nielsen ratings show. It is the most watched season the Orlando Magic have had in TV viewers since the 2012 season, when the Magic were a playoff team led by Dwight Howard in his last season. That year, the Magic drew an average audience of about 48,733 viewers during each game in Orlando according to Nielsen ratings.
It is a big positive development for the Magic and TV partner Fox Sports Florida, who in October 2013 agreed on a lucrative 10-year contract extension making the network the team’s regional television rights holder through the 2026 season.
Among the highlights this season included the Magic’s win over the Houston Rockets on December 23, 2015. This December matchup was the most-watched Magic game this season as it won the night in Orlando and was the most-watched TV program in Orlando across key men and adult demographics including men ages 18-34 and adults ages 18-49.
The Magic’s 130-114 loss to the Golden State Warriors on February 25, 2016 was the second most-watched Magic game this season with a 2.2 TV Rating.
The Magic’s opening night broadcast against the Washington Wizards was the highest rated opening night Magic telecast on FOX Sports Florida since 2011 opener.
Below are the six highest rated games on FOX Sports Florida this year:
Top 6 Highest rated Orlando Magic Games on FOX Sports Florida this season (courtesy FOX Sports Florida)
1- Houston Rockets at Orlando Magic on Dec. 23, 2015
2- Golden State Warriors at Orlando Magic on Feb. 25, 2016
3- Milwaukee Bucks at Orlando Magic on Nov. 27, 2015
4- Los Angeles Lakers at Orlando Magic on Nov. 11, 2015
5- Minnesota Timberwolves at Orlando Magic on Nov. 18, 2015
6- Washington Wizards at Orlando Magic on Oct. 28, 2015
The Magic broadcast this season included as usual David Steele as the voice of the Magic on FOX Sports Florida alongside with former Magic player Jeff Turner as the color commentator. Dante Marchitelli was the pregame and postgame show hosts for majority of the games this season including all the home games with Emily Austen in her first season as Magic sideline reporter for every Magic home game and select road games.
Former Magic Head Coach Brian Hill and player Nick Anderson served as studio analyst for road games and at home games on site.
