Sleeper Success: NBA Finals Game 7 Ratings Soar Amid Series' Historic Lows
Game 7 was great, the rest of the series ... not so much.
The NBA faced challenges with its small-market 2025 Finals, but the series ended on a relatively positive note, by the league's low standards. Game 7 between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers, where OKC clinched their first title, drew 16.53 million viewers on Monday — the most-watched Finals* game since 2019.
(*The last Finals Game 7 was in 2016, when the Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Golden State Warriors, making direct comparisons a bit of a stretch due to the rarity of such high stakes.)
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - JUNE 22: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander #2 of the Oklahoma City Thunder receives the Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award after the game against the Indiana Pacers during Game Seven of the 2025 NBA Finals on June 22, 2025 at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)
The stakes on Sunday were high as the underdog Pacers hoped to beat the Thunder and derail a historic year by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
In the end, the Thunder ran away with it.
Overall, the 2025 NBA Finals averaged 10.26 million viewers per game, a 9% decline from 2024’s 11.31 million and the lowest since 2007. Games 1 through 3 averaged 8.95 million viewers, down from 12.4 million in 2022, 11.7 million in 2023, and 11.3 million in 2024.
Game 7 started strong but shifted when Pacers All-Star Tyrese Haliburton suffered a torn Achilles in his right leg.
OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA - JUNE 22: Tyrese Haliburton #0 of the Indiana Pacers sustains an injury during the first quarter against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game Seven of the 2025 NBA Finals at Paycom Center on June 22, 2025 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. (Photo by Justin Ford/Getty Images)
Despite Indiana leading 48-47 at halftime, the favored Thunder dominated the third quarter, outscoring the injury-hit Pacers 34-20. Without their star, Indiana struggled to keep pace and ultimately fell.
READ: Oklahoma City Thunder Roar to First NBA Title, Overpower Injury-Hit Pacers in Game 7
Early projections had warned of a ratings slump for the Thunder-Pacers matchup, as the league grappled with the absence of big-market teams to boost viewership.
Despite Game 7’s strong ratings, the NBA faces an uphill battle to sustain viewer interest with smaller markets in future Finals.
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