2025 NBA Finals Game 1: Least watched opener since 1988

The 2025 NBA Finals opened up with a bang, as Game 1 delivered plenty of excitement. Despite this, Game 1 was the least-watched opener since 1988.

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Game 1 of this year’s Finals fetched a 4.7 rating and 8.91 million viewers. This made it the least-watched Finals opener—excluding the two COVID-era Finals—since 1988.

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Game 1 of the Pacers–Thunder NBA Finals averaged a 4.7 rating and 8.91 million viewers on ABC, making it the lowest-rated and least-watched Finals opener since Nielsen tracking began in 1988—excluding the COVID-impacted 2020 and 2021 series, per @paulsen_smw pic.twitter.com/PzHwJOGy9F

— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) June 6, 2025

In 1988, the Nielsen people meter began to track viewership. This was where NBA Finals viewership really started to matter. So, for the Pacers vs. Thunder Game 1 ratings to be historically low isn’t good news for the NBA.

If the remainder of the series can keep up the dramatics of Game 1, people will watch. It’s a good scenario for the NBA to have two small market teams reach the Finals, as it shows that anyone has a shot at winning a title.

About the Author Published Jun 6, 2025

TITAN FREY

Titan Frey is a dedicated father to three wonderful children, whom he takes immense pride in. His passions include reading, writing, basketball, both playing and watching, and playing chess. Titan spent five years working as a journalist for the basketball website fadeawayworld.net, where he served as editor-in-chief for four and a half years. One of his most notable achievements was interviewing Chuck Cooper III, the son of Chuck Cooper, the first African American ever drafted by an NBA team, and writing a biography that has been praised as the most definitive article about Cooper’s legacy. Titan is the author of more than ten novels and the screenwriter of three produced short films. His newest young adult novel, Echoes of the Hardwood: Braxton Foxworthy’s Time‑Travelling Book Report, blends basketball history with heartfelt storytelling and is now available. Order here: https://a.co/d/bo7BYz1