Game 1 gets low TV rating despite classic finish

Game 1 gets low TV rating despite classic finish
TV RATINGS DOWN. The Game 1 of the NBA Finals between the Indiana Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder registers a low TV rating. / NBA
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DESPITE delivering a nail-biter kickoff to the 2025 National Basketball Association (NBA) Finals, the Indiana Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder couldn’t overcome the reality of small-market matchups when it came to television viewership.

Game 1 averaged a 4.7 rating and 8.91 million viewers on ABC, marking the least-watched Finals opener of the Nielsen meter era (since 1988), excluding the pandemic-affected seasons of 2020 and 2021. The numbers represent an 18 percent drop in ratings and a 19 percent decline in viewership compared to last year’s Celtics-Mavericks opener.

The matchup, featuring franchises ranked 25th (Indiana) and 47th (Oklahoma City) in Nielsen market size, had long raised concerns about national appeal. Oklahoma City’s mayor had even pushed back on criticisms of the market’s impact prior to tip-off. But the numbers appear to reflect those early doubts.

Still, Game 1 offered plenty of excitement. Tyrese Haliburton led the Pacers to a stunning late-game comeback, capping it with a game-winning shot with just 0.3 seconds remaining.

The moment helped boost live broadcast numbers to 11 million viewers at the climax, according to the NBA’s PR team, which also noted strong engagement among the 18–34 age group and record-setting numbers across social media platforms.

On the court, Oklahoma City remains the betting favorite at -350 despite dropping the opener. The Thunder’s dominant season hasn’t made them invincible, and after Haliburton’s heroics, the door is open for either a bounce-back performance or one of the most improbable title runs in Finals history.

Pacers lead series, 1-0. Game 2 is set Monday, June 9, 2025 (PH time), still in Oklahoma City. / RSC

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