The Nets final year in New Jersey was a ratings disaster, but in the numbers there was some hope for the future. For the third straight year, the Nets were dead last in local TV ratings, with a .41 rating meaning less than half of one percent of all households --about 30,000-- in the New York area tuned into an average Nets game.

Where's the hope? First, the ratings were actually up 41 percent over last season, perhaps due to the presence of Deron Williams or the nostalgia factor. Second, while the ratings were low, the market is by far the nation's largest. That 30,000 represents three-quarters of what the Thunder get on an average game night and about 40 percent of the Spurs' average audience, who have the highest local TV ratings, at 8.0. Now that they're a New York team, expect higher numbers.

• Spurs lead pack in RSN ratings despite drop - John Ourand - Sports Business Journal