Game 1 of the Finals posts horrific TV ratings

[MavsDirk41]

Here's the average viewers of NBA Finals series in Y2K era


2000's
-14.39 million average viewers

2010's
-17.87 million average viewers
(+24% increase of viewers)

2020's
-10.27 million average viewers
(-42.5% loss of viewers)


For comparison, numbers on LeBron's 8 straight Finals
-18.18 million average viewers
(+77% increase of viewers in comparison to 2020's)

10 most watched nba finals as of 2024

1 98
2 93
3 97
4 96
5 87
6 91
7 88
8 89
9 92
10 2017

I am very surprised that the 2010 championship was not more popular and not in the top 10... I mean lakers vs celtics? Prime Kobe vs bostons big 3? oof. Should be a top 3 for what im concerned.

Yea i agree with you. 2011 Dirk and the Mavs vs the superteam Miami Heat was one that i thought would have made the list.

[MavsDirk41]

Here's the average viewers of NBA Finals series in Y2K era


2000's
-14.39 million average viewers

2010's
-17.8e7 million average viewers
(+24% increase of viewers)

2020's
-10.27 million average viewers
(-42.5% loss of viewers)


For comparison, numbers on LeBron's 8 straight Finals
-18.18 million average viewers
(+77% increase of viewers in comparison to 2020's)

10 most watched nba finals as of 2024

1 98
2 93
3 97
4 96
5 87
6 91
7 88
8 89
9 92
10 2017

Internet doesn't exist before the decades I mentioned and television is the main source of entertainment n the past eras. I'm sure that's a huge factor from the massive drop especially in this Parity Era or post-LeBron Finals run. From 18.18 million average viewers in LeBron's Finals berth from 2011 to 2018 down to 10.27 million average viewers for this decade, that's 7.91 million average viewers drop. In 2025 Finals so far between Thunder and Pacers, there's 8.91 million average viewers in 3 games.

Still….the NBA was pretty popular during the Bulls run and the Magic/Bird era

[pipfan]

In the long run, this matchup might help. These 2 teams might be around for a while, so if one's in the Finals again they will be more familiar.

Anyway, it's a very fun series so far-I'm watching every minute

[Ice Man]

10 most watched nba finals as of 2024

1 98
2 93
3 97
4 96
5 87
6 91
7 88
8 89
9 92
10 2017

Six Finals in the Nineties had Mike, four did not. The six Finals that did are all on this list, although only the first was against a major-market team, and only in the first and third did Jordan play against guys who were familiar to the mass market. (Stockton/Malone were stars to NBA fans, but they had little crossover appeal.) The four Finals that did not are all missing.

Of all NBA stars, Mike is on a tier by himself.

[madmaxmedia]

I know people mock because we are all watching. But this stuff matters. TV money subsidizes the game and the stakeholders aren't going to like taking a lot less which means they will pass the costs on to us whether it be increased ticket pricing or a streaming service you are paying for.

We should want high ratings so that TV and advertisers are paying the costs, not us.

First, higher TV revenue won't do anything to save us costs. The thing about stakeholders, they're greedy. They're going to already push the prices as high as the public will stomach regardless of anything else that happens.

Secondly, the TV deal runs through 2036 now. It's not changing anything, anytime soon anyway. That money is already coming in and won't change for a decade.

There are going to be ebbs and flows no matter what. This is not make or break, this is how much money they are going to make.

That, or the powers that being are really doing a TERRIBLE JOB OF FIXING THE OUTCOMES OF GAMES. Of all the possibilities you give us Indiana and OKC? Bruh...

[madmaxmedia]

In the long run, this matchup might help. These 2 teams might be around for a while, so if one's in the Finals again they will be more familiar.

Anyway, it's a very fun series so far-I'm watching every minute

I love how the series is playing out, even as I was really rooting for the Knicks.

New teams in the finals create the possibility for new narratives and new stars.

Ratings can make for good discussion, but certainly the sky is not falling. For most people (including here), the games themselves are more important than the ratings, and the ratings in any given NBA Finals is inevitably going to fluctuate.

[xxSnEaKyPxx]

UH-OH
https://frontofficesports.com/nba-finals-game-2-ratings-dip-even-after-record-low-opener/

Magic Johnson's definition of a superstar: "A person who can go on the road and sell the building out."

no superstar no ratings. it's a very concise definition that weeds out all the fakes/tweeners so i have to agree

so while i understand the hardcore and those who just want to see close games(which bottom line just means being entertained)
there is this overwhelming majority from BOTH groups that seek an entertaining close games finals. me, i'd rather see a beautiful blowout

but i think "entertainment comes in different forms. I am entertained by great artists(talents) creating great art

to address the above there's a better chance of seeing great things in sports if great stars are playing, and ergo great teams. cuz superstars and superteams do super things. and i don't mean haliburton's last minute heroics either. those are just great plays

i for one can wait for those singular moments and that's what ive been missing so far

I agree. SGA is great, but not a superstar. Not having 1 in the Finals would definitely affect ratings. Looking at the ratings for years featuring LBJ and Curry shows it.

Personally, I'm enjoying the series a lot and found myself rooting for the underdog.

The guy who just won MVP while leading one of the youngest teams ever to be in the NBA Finals isn’t a superstar?

[og15]

It’s true that NBA ratings have been falling for years. Last year’s NBA Finals between the Celtics and the Dallas Mavericks averaged 11.3 million viewers, down 27% from 2014 (LeBron James was playing in those), and down 37% from 2004 (with the Lakers and Kobe Bryant). The ratings for the NBA playoffs are actually slightly up this year compared to a year ago. But more broadly, the entire TV ratings universe has fallen 54% in the last 10 years. “Linear TV” – broadcast and cable – now accounts for less than 50% of all the video viewing in the U.S. Is any of this breaking news anymore? Can we broaden our lens a bit in analyzing success and failure?

As the NBA’s SVP for Partnerships, Lauren Sullivan, told me in the midst of busy Finals prep, the new deal will bring 40% more nationally televised games during the regular season, including weekly national prime time broadcasts on NBC on Tuesday and Sunday nights, as well as a massive increase in nationally streamed games via Peacock and Amazon. There’s little or no ability to predict the future path of ratings, but in a world of future ratings blindness, the one-eyed live sports broadcast remains King. Although overall ratings have fallen for years, audience shares for events such as the NBA Finals are unmatched by anything in the entertainment programming world.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/howardhomonoff/2025/06/05/nba-finals-look-beyond-tv-ratings-for-keys-to-success/

[Jailblazers7]

The ratings are low because the NBA has done a bad job marketing the product. We have two top 10 players under the age of 27 playing in their first Finals. Hali is charismatic & memeable and SGA is low-key but he’s creative & into fashion off the court. The NBA has essentially nothing to market these two players & teams all season.

This is some of the best basketball I’ve seen in a Finals since 2016 and it’s a super fun style to watch. Blaming it on small markets is a cop out for the way the NBA has mismanaged the succession planning for Steph/LBJ.

[Hoop Hunter]

So uhh

Read on Twitter

One thing I read says bad ratings, the next thing says great ratings. So what is it?

I don't really care, I'm watching every second.

[Hoop Hunter]

Can’t even watch this trash series.

I understand, some people are just not basketball fans. Not fans of good basketball and don't really understand the sport. They watch to see the "stars" setting in the front rows.

Strange you are on a basketball website though. Just like to troll? got it.

[Clav]

Can’t even watch this trash series.

I understand, some people are just not basketball fans. Not fans of good basketball and don't really understand the sport. They watch to see the "stars" setting in the front rows.

Strange you are on a basketball website though. Just like to troll? got it.

Sigh, shows their true commitment to the game. What's the phrase again ? Ball is life. Let's repeat it for "fanofthegreats", Ball is life, my friend.

[bisme37]

So uhh

Read on Twitter

One thing I read says bad ratings, the next thing says great ratings. So what is it?

I don't really care, I'm watching every second.

Well I guess the ratings are bad compared to years ago, but ratings are down for everything vs years ago. There are way more things to watch now and way more platforms.

So in that context the ratings are good, but the people who want them to be bad are still able to make the argument that they are bad since they've fallen from years ago.

Or something like that.

[Hoop Hunter]

So uhh

Code: Select all

[tweet]1933278420701511689[/tweet]

/quote]
One thing I read says bad ratings, the next thing says great ratings. So what is it?

I don't really care, I'm watching every second.

Well I guess the ratings are bad compared to years ago, but ratings are down for everything vs years ago. There are way more things to watch now and way more platforms.

So in that context the ratings are good, but the people who want them to be bad are still able to make the argument that they are bad since they've fallen from years ago.

Or something like that.

Makes perfect sense.

[Duke4life831]

So uhh

Read on Twitter

One thing I read says bad ratings, the next thing says great ratings. So what is it?

I don't really care, I'm watching every second.

Well I guess the ratings are bad compared to years ago, but ratings are down for everything vs years ago. There are way more things to watch now and way more platforms.

So in that context the ratings are good, but the people who want them to be bad are still able to make the argument that they are bad since they've fallen from years ago.

Or something like that.

I agree with this somewhat, like I agree that there is no doubt value to being the most watched thing on TV in a couple months. But I will also add this context to it. Even if we dont look at total viewership numbers and look at TV Rating(percentage of TV/streaming watching the game). These Finals are on pace to have the lowest TV share of all time (outside of the Covid year) for either the NBA Finals or World Series.

Right now its at a 4.6 TV Rating. And to put that into context.

NBA Finals average TV Rating since the Covid year: 5.8
World Series average TV Rating since the Covid year: 6.1

So right now its on pace to be all time low. But even when compared to recent years (Streaming has been huge over the last 4 years). Its still a significant drop. I know the social media numbers are good, but social media also has a massive bot issue. Where an app like Twitter, most researchers have found that roughly 30-50% of the activity on there are bot accounts.

[Indomitable]

So uhh

Read on Twitter

One thing I read says bad ratings, the next thing says great ratings. So what is it?

I don't really care, I'm watching every second.

Most people watch different things. There are a 100 different things for people to watch.

[sp6r=underrated]

I agree with this somewhat, but I will also add this context to it. Even if we dont look at total viewership numbers and look at TV Rating(percentage of TV/streaming watching the game). These Finals are on pace to have the lowest TV share of all time (outside of the Covid year) for either the NBA Finals or World Series.

Right now its at a 4.6 TV Rating. And to put that into context.

NBA Finals average TV Rating since the Covid year: 5.8
World Series average TV Rating since the Covid year: 6.1

So right now its on pace to be all time low. But even when compared to recent years (Streaming has been huge over the last 4 years). Its still a significant drop. I know the social media numbers are good, but social media also has a massive bot issue. Where an app like Twitter, most researchers have found that roughly 30-50% of the activity on there are bot accounts.

This doesn't apply to the NFL or College Football but the other American sports league are in a tenuous position.

First they derive a lot of revenue from people who don't consume their product at all via cable packages. Second, networks are paying a premium based on the theory "these audiences may be small but they are the best vehicle for attracting male viewers."

The former is collapsing. The latter depends on the leagues maintaining a baseline audience. If they collapse into NHL figures the TV deals will shrink even if they are the most watched program among young men, because advertisers will try to reach young men in other ways.

I don't think there is a good solution.

[Showtime 80]

NBA just got paid an historic amount of money for their new tv/streaming rights. I think they’ll be okay.

Yes their American ratings are lower now than what it was during the Jordan era but so is virtually every other program on tv as well outside of the NFL.

That’s why the NBA is making more money than ever now, they’re getting viewed more in terms of % vs the other shows on air at the same time. It’s weighted completely differently now.

You can’t compare how people view sports from the 80’s and 90’s to today. It is completely different with the internet, social media, and streaming. Doesn’t mean the sport is any less popular.

LOL!!! Fox just had 127 million viewers for the last Super Bowl, a new record number!

If Jordan and the Bulls were still around they would still be setting TV records the problem is there hasn’t been a transcendent player or team at that level since 1998, not Kobe/Shaq, not Duncan, not Lebron, not Curry or Tatum and as much as the NBA tries to force it’s just not gonna happen.

[durden_tyler]

NBA just got paid an historic amount of money for their new tv/streaming rights. I think they’ll be okay.

Yes their American ratings are lower now than what it was during the Jordan era but so is virtually every other program on tv as well outside of the NFL.

That’s why the NBA is making more money than ever now, they’re getting viewed more in terms of % vs the other shows on air at the same time. It’s weighted completely differently now.

The fact that NBA has dominated the other American sports (including NFL, NHL and MLB) internationally is also almost always just forgotten by these critics. You are correct, the NBA will be fine.


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[MavsDirk41]

10 most watched nba finals as of 2024

1 98
2 93
3 97
4 96
5 87
6 91
7 88
8 89
9 92
10 2017

Six Finals in the Nineties had Mike, four did not. The six Finals that did are all on this list, although only the first was against a major-market team, and only in the first and third did Jordan play against guys who were familiar to the mass market. (Stockton/Malone were stars to NBA fans, but they had little crossover appeal.) The four Finals that did not are all missing.

Of all NBA stars, Mike is on a tier by himself.

Yea the young guys just dont understand