NBA Finals TV ratings
Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images
The Indiana Pacers stole Game 1 of the NBA Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder, thanks to a game-winner by guard Tyrese Haliburton. While the game-winner had social media and ESPN buzzing, the NBA Finals TV ratings for Game 1 show that not that many people watched it.
According to Sports Media Watch, Game 1 of the NBA Finals averaged a 4.7 rating and averaged 8.91 million viewers on ABC. It was the least-watched opener of the NBA Finals since Nielsen started tracking in 1988, outside of the COVID-affected series in 2020 and 2021.
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The NBA is still spinning some positives out of it, with NBA Communications noting that viewership peaked at 11 million viewers at the end of the fourth quarter leading into Haliburton’s game-winner. Furthermore, Game 1 still averaged nearly three times as many viewers as the next most-watched program across television on Thursday night.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver also scored in a key demographic, with nearly half of 18-to-34-year-olds watching TV on Thursday night tuned into the NBA Finals. On social media, Game 1 earned more than 500 million views to shatter the league’s previous record.
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As far as how Game 1 stacked up against other series-openers to the NBA Finals, it had a 19 percent drop in viewership compared to the 2024 matchup between the Boston Celtics and the Dallas Mavericks. Fortunately for the league, its TV partners have already signed a media rights deal worth $76 billion over the next 11 years.
Prior to Game 1, Silver addressed the focus on the NBA Finals TV ratings and the discourse surrounding viewership of the sport.
“It seems a little unusual how much discussion there is around ratings in this league. Walking on the street, fans coming up to me, it frustrates me that the first thing they say is, how are the ratings? What are the ratings going to be? As opposed to, wow, you have two incredible Conference Finals.”
NBA commissioner Adam Silver before Game 1 on the discourse surrounding NBA Finals TV ratings
The league certainly knew that a matchup between teams based in the 25th- and 47th-largest television markets in the United States wouldn’t be a major draw. However, the hope is that the emergence of the Thunder and Pacers as perennial contenders builds their fan bases and more interest in the teams and players long-term.
Meanwhile, Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals averaged just 2.42 million viewers with the matchup between the Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers broadcast on TNT and truTV. It marked the least-watched Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals, excluding the COVID-affected years, since 2008.
Game 2 of the NBA Finals is on Saturday night at 5:00 PM PT/8:00 PM ET on ABC. Notably, Game 2 of the 2024 Mavericks vs Celtics series averaged 12.063 million viewers, a 10 percent increase from Game 1.
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