NBA Finals Ratings: Game 3 Down 20%, Series on Pace For Lowest Finals Ever
Thunder-Pacers on pace for lowest rated Final on record ahead of Game 4.
Game 3 of the Thunder-Pacers NBA Finals drew the largest audience of the series so far with 9.19 million viewers. Still, that's a drop of nearly 20% compared to 11.43 million viewers that watched the same game last year between the Celtics and Mavericks.
Through three games, the 2025 Final series has averaged just 8.95 million viewers, down 23% from 2024. Other than the COVID year in which the Finals aired out of season in fall, this current Finals is on pace to be the lowest of the Nielsen meter era, dating back to 1988.
Not great.
The Indiana Pacers lead the NBA Finals series 2-1 over the Oklahoma City Thunder, with game 4 scheduled for tonight. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Zach Beeker/NBAE via Getty Images)
NBA optimists would say this year is a blip because Oklahoma City and Indiana are two small markets. Perhaps.
However, realists would point out that changes to the NBA salary cap have paved the way for smaller market teams to better compete. In 2017, the league introduced the "supermax" contract, incentivizing star players to re-sign with the teams that drafted them as opposed to bolting for Los Angeles or Miami.
To be frank, teams like Oklahoma City and Indiana are not going away. Nor are Minnesota and Detroit. So, the NBA better learn to sell its smaller markets to the masses, something the league has struggled with for decades.
It would also help if the NBA knew how to create new stars. The biggest star of the NBA Finals this season is Caitlin Clark, who watches from the bleachers.
Jun 11, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana Pacers forward Obi Toppin (1) dunks the ball against Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jalen Williams (8) in game three of the 2025 NBA Finals at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images
On the bright side, networks make most of their playoff money when series extend to at least six games. The NBA has not had a six-game Finals series since 2022.
Unless the Pacers win the next two games--which would be one of the biggest upsets in recent memory--the Finals will go at least six games this season. And unless the Thunder win the next three--which is also unlikely--this series will go to seven games.
Given this is the final year of the current rights agreement before the fee doubles, ABC/ESPN would surely like to cash in on two extra finals games.
Per DraftKings, the Thunder remain betting favorites, but at only around two-to-one odds. Oklahoma City was a seven-to-one at the start of the series.