On Thursday, the Pacers and the Thunder put on a thrilling show in Game 1 of the NBA Finals. Indiana, the comeback kids of the 2025 playoffs, rallied from a 15-point fourth-quarter deficit to stun the No. 1 seeded team in the playoffs. Tyrese Haliburton nailed a 21-foot jump shot to drag Indiana to a 111-110 win.
Still, the thrilling finish of the dogfight produced a concerning TV ratings result. Jon Lewis of Sports Media Watch, via NBA Central, wrote:
Game 1 of the Pacers–Thunder NBA Finals averaged a 4.7 rating and 8.91 million viewers on ABC, making it the lowest-rated and least-watched Finals opener since Nielsen tracking began in 1988—excluding the COVID-impacted 2020 and 2021 series, per
@paulsen_smw
Game 1 of the NBA Finals in 2020 between the Miami Heat and LA Lakers rated 4.1 and topped at 7.69M. The Milwaukee Bucks’ Game 1 tussle against the Phoenix Suns in 2021 resulted in a 4.5 rating and 8.70M, per the same report.
Explore the with our free & be the GM of your favorite NBA team.
Lewis also noted the drop in TV ratings between Thursday’s Pacers-Thunder showdown and the Celtics-Mavericks Game 1 clash in 2024. Headlined by Boston superstar Jayson Tatum and then Dallas MVP contender Luka Doncic, the series opener rated 5.7 and peaked at 10.9M.
Still, there's some hope for the NBA Finals TV ratings to improve. Jon Lewis wrote in his report:
“The Thunder looked well on their way to a comfortable Game 1 win until Indiana pulled off yet another fourth-quarter comeback, culminating in Tyrese Haliburton’s game-winning shot. If this series is to bounce back in the ratings, the momentum from that shot will have to carry into Sunday’s Game 2.”
Adam Silver, on the Breakfast Ball on Wednesday before Game 1 of the NBA Finals the next day, pushed back amid potential low TV ratings and attendance concerns due to small-market teams in the championship round.
"If we were going into a Super Bowl and it was Packers against Steelers, you guys would be celebrating that. ... People wouldn't be talking about the fact that Pittsburgh is a small market. I'm happy whatever team ends up in the Finals, but it's been intentional from our standpoint to create a system, a collective bargaining agreement, that allows more teams to compete.
The last CBA, which took effect in July 2023, has increased the parity in the league. The newly introduced second apron, a big blow to big-market and big-spending teams, has leveled the field.
Adam Silver insisted that fans will get more competitive basketball across the league due to the CBA. He encouraged them to watch the NBA Finals because the best teams would represent the league in the event.
Was this article helpful?
Thank You for feedback
About the author
Edited by Michael Macasero
