Despite delivering a thrilling Game 1 filled with late-game drama, the 2025 NBA Finals opener between the Indiana Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder struggled to attract viewers. According to Sports Media Watch, the game 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.
Heading into the Finals, there were concerns about the market size of the competing teams. The Pacers and Thunder represent two of the smallest markets in the NBA, ranking 25th and 47th in Nielsen’s television market rankings. Historically, Finals matchups featuring big-market teams like the Los Angeles Lakers, Boston Celtics, or Golden State Warriors tend to draw higher ratings.
Despite the low viewership, the game itself was a classic. The Pacers staged a 15-point fourth-quarter comeback, culminating in Tyrese Haliburton’s game-winning shot with 0.3 seconds left.
The 4.7 rating and 8.91 million viewers mark an 18% ratings decline and 19% viewership drop compared to last year’s NBA Finals opener, which featured the Boston Celtics and Dallas Mavericks.
While overall ratings were disappointing, the NBA pointed to strong engagement on social media and a peak audience of 11 million viewers during the final minutes of the game when Haliburton hit his game-winner. Additionally, viewership among the 18-to-34-year-old demographic remained strong, suggesting that younger audiences are still engaged with the Finals.
With Game 2 set for Sunday, June 8, the NBA hopes that the dramatic finish of Game 1 will boost interest moving forward. If the series remains competitive, ratings could rebound as more casual viewers tune in to witness what could be one of the biggest upsets in NBA Finals history.
