The Orlando Magic, more recently a middle of the pack NBA team, are showing flashes of success after starting the season with 9-6 record. After nailing recent free-agent signings and drafting the right pieces, the Orlando Magic have become a young, exciting team with a promising upside.
This newly-built Magic team has taken the NBA by storm with their noticeable, yet unexpected, improvement on the court. The recent addition of veteran Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, has this team trending in the right direction where.
“What Kentavious Caldwell-Pope has consistently done throughout his career, especially these last couple of years, is continuing to provide veteran mentorship. I have seen some of the young guys have really found a bond with a veteran mentor and someone who has championship pedigree,” Brett James, Senior Reporter for Orlando Magic HQ, said.
Last season the Orlando Magic finished as the fifth seed in the NBA’s Eastern Conference with a 47-35 record, reaching the playoffs for the first time since the 2019-20 season, and clinching their first Southeast Division title since 2009.
Last season’s improvement has led to higher fan expectations.
“They [Orlando Magic] should squarely be in the playoff picture. We don’t want to see them in the play-in game, that would be a bit of a failure,” Jonathan Osborne, host of The Sixth Man Show podcast, said after the Magic’s surprising 2023-24 regular season performance which culminated in a seven-game series against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Playoffs.
Winning comes with a price, and that price is an increase in attention. Due to last season’s performance, the Magic saw an increase in popularity on social media, with more people wanting to hear “the song,” the team’s original theme song from 1989, which has become a viral sensation among NBA fans.
“When you trend on social media, more people have their eyes on you. More eyes, the higher the feeling that you cannot mess up,” said Carolina Del Campo, social media expert.
Because of “the song’s” popularity, the Magic have continued to use it this season. They have been playing it at the arena after every win during their 7-0 start at home, and on social media after each of their nine wins this season.
The Magic have also experienced growth in attendance and ticket sales. According to Statista, for the 2022-23 season, the Orlando Magic saw the highest gate receipts in over 10 years with $44 million.
The Magic also showed a franchise value increase of over $1 billion in one season, jumping from $1.9B in 2022 to $2.95B in 2023, per Forbes’ NBA team valuations.
“There is no better way to cater to the consumer than to go straight to the palm of their hand through social media,” Del Campo added.
The NBA has a solution for out-of-state Magic fans, as there has been an increase in nationally televised games for the 2024-25 season. Fans can catch the Magic play the Oklahoma City Thunder on TNT on Thursday, December 19 and battle the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday, February 25.
“We’re seeing the Magic who had one nationally televised game jump to five or seven games that they’re going to have [on national TV] this upcoming season. That’s a sign that more people want to watch the Magic,” Osborne explained.
With more people tuning into the Magic, whether that be on TV, social media, or in person, there is definitely new excitement around the young, talented Orlando Magic team.
