NBA Finals Game 1 Plummets to Historic Low Ratings—Is Interest in the Series Fading Fast?

You know, everyone was squawking about how a Finals featuring two small-market teams—Indiana and Oklahoma City—was gonna be a snooze fest. Well, guess what? Those Pacers and Thunder just served up a Game 1 for the ages, full of drama and heart-stopping moments that made you forget all that market-size mumbo jumbo. But here’s the kicker: while the game itself lit up the hardwood, it didn’t quite light up the TV ratings like we’ve seen in past years. The 2025 NBA Finals opener pulled in a mere 4.7 rating with just under 9 million viewers on ABC—the lowest audience for a Game 1 since the Nielsen ratings became a thing back in ’88, discounting the weird pandemic years. It’s a bit of a bummer, sure, but also hardly a shocker given the Nielsen rankings placing these cities at 25th and 47th largest TV markets. Still, don’t hang your head too low; the league’s got a shiny $76 billion TV deal locked up, and with rookies like Tyrese Haliburton sparking hope and excitement, this series might yet grab back more eyeballs as things heat up. Trust me, this isn’t the end of the story—it’s just the opening tip. LEARN MORENBA’s PR team also pointed to some positives, such as the broadcast reaching 11 million viewers by the time Haliburton made his game-winning shot with 0.3 seconds left, strong viewership among the 18-to-34-year-old demographic and a record number of views on social media.The Pacers’ win could aid ratings down the line, as many viewers might not have tuned in due to how lopsided the series was perceived to be. The Thunder opened as a -800 favorite to win their first title in OKC, the best odds since the 2017-18 Golden State Warriors.No matter how many people watched, Game 1 of Pacers-Thunder was a fun one. (Photo by Kyle Terada – Pool/Getty Images)

No matter how many people watched, Game 1 of Pacers-Thunder was a fun one. (Photo by Kyle Terada – Pool/Getty Images)

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Those numbers seemingly vindicate what many have said about a clash between teams from the 25th and 47th largest markets in the Nielsen rankings, with Oklahoma City’s mayor bristling at those concerns ahead of the game.The concerns about the small-market NBA Finals didn’t prevent the Indiana Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder from delivering a classic in Game 1. They do, however, seem to have impacted ratings as expected.