The Thunder-Pacers on Thursday averaged just 8.91 million viewers, marking the least-watched opening Game 1 of an NBA Finals series of the Nielsen meter era (since 1988), aside from the COVID years in 2020 and 2021.
The historical low is not exactly surprising.
The NBA is less popular today than at any point in the last 35 years. Moreover, the league has never fared well when two small-market teams competed in the Finals. In 2005, Game 1 of the Spurs and Pistons Finals averaged 10.6 million viewers. Two years later, Game 1 of the Spurs-Cavs series drew only 9.3 million.
Luckily, for the NBA, major market teams have traditionally found themselves in The Finals year after year—from the Lakers to the Celtics, from the Bulls to the Warriors.
The league is certainly hoping that trend continues. The NBA would like to see Luka Doncic establish the Lakers as the NBA’s next dynasty. (That’s why the league scripted the trade, right? Kidding. Sort of.)
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – JUNE 5: Tyrese Haliburton #0 of the Indiana Pacers scores the game-winning basket during the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder during Game One of the 2025 NBA Finals on June 5, 2025 at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE(Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)
However, changes to the NBA salary cap structure have made it harder for major market teams to poach superstar talent away from the small markets. In 2017, the NBA introduced the “supermax” to incentivize star players to re-sign with the team that drafted them. Were it not for the supermax, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Nikola Jokic could have bolted for Los Angeles, Miami or San Francisco years ago.
The Super Team Era was bad for parity but good for business. The NBA had no problem selling its biggest stars in its biggest markets.
Today, the most successful NBA teams are mostly homegrown. Neither the Thunder nor the Pacers built their championship rosters via big-name free agency signings or trades. In fact, the teams that have recently built through the offseason – like the Suns – are among the worst-positioned franchises moving forward.
It’s a different NBA. And the league’s promotional machine needs to adjust.
OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA – JUNE 05: Tyrese Haliburton #0 of the Indiana Pacers congratulated by Aaron Nesmith #23 after scoring a basket against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the fourth quarter in Game One of the 2025 NBA Finals at Paycom Center on June 05, 2025 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
While the NFL media celebrates the rich traditions of Green Bay, Buffalo and Pittsburgh, the NBA is all about the biggest and flashiest cities. NBA commentators like Stephen A. Smith and Charles Barkley frequently mock NBA cities like Milwaukee for not being up to their standards.
Wonder what they think about traveling back and forth between Oklahoma City and Indiana.
As NBA reporter Brian Windhorst explained recently, the Oklahoma City Thunder are not going away. The team is full of young talent and future draft picks. Teams like the Timberwolves, Spurs and Pistons also appear to have promising futures.
The question is whether the NBA can sell those teams to casual fans. Based on the ratings, the league is failing. There isn’t much interest in teams like the Thunder or Timberwolves, despite stars like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Anthony Edwards.
That’s a problem.
Ultimately, the NBA shouldn’t dismiss last Thursday’s record low as a one-off, but as a reminder that the NBA exists beyond just the coasts. The league has a multitude of problems to address, but its inability to market teams in middle America may be the most urgent.
It’s hard to see viewership improving much as the series progresses. But as OutKick promised Bill Simmons, we will continue to track.
