The Oklahoma City Thunder made a statement in Game 2 of the NBA Finals, decisively defeating the Indiana Pacers with a score of 123-107 to even the series. However, while the outcome was clear, the viewership numbers tell a different story.
According to Sports Media Watch’s Jon Lewis, the game attracted an average of 8.76 million viewers. This marks a significant drop of 29 percent compared to the 12.31 million who tuned in for last year’s Game 2 showdown between the Boston Celtics and Dallas Mavericks. In fact, this year’s matchup recorded the lowest viewership for a Game 2 since the pandemic-altered finals in 2020, when the Los Angeles Lakers faced the Miami Heat in the Disney “bubble.”
Interestingly, that 2020 contest also holds the record for the least-watched NBA Finals game since 2007, which featured a duel between the Cleveland Cavaliers and San Antonio Spurs that had to contend with the series finale of “The Sopranos.” In that case, the HBO series won the viewership battle, and while the Thunder and Pacers were able to outperform other live programming on that Sunday night, the ratings reflect a concerning trend for the NBA Finals.
What’s particularly striking is that this represents only the third time since 2007 that we’ve seen ratings dip from Game 1 to Game 2 in the Finals. Just a few nights prior, 8.91 million viewers were drawn to Indiana’s nail-biting 111-110 victory over Oklahoma City. However, Game 2 didn’t deliver the same level of excitement, with Indiana never taking more than a three-point lead at any moment beyond a brief spell in the first quarter.
Moreover, peak viewership for Sunday’s game slipped to 9.9 million from the 11 million that tuned in at the end of Game 1. As reported by Front Office Sports’ Colin Salao, when looking at the initial two games of this series combined, viewership has decreased by 24 percent compared to the previous three NBA Finals. This drop comes despite an increase in ratings elsewhere this postseason, including 8.12 million viewers witnessing the Pacers’ thrilling elimination of the New York Knicks in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
This decade stands out as one of the few NBA Finals not to surpass 9 million viewers for either Game 1 or 2, which could serve as a wake-up call for the league and its broadcasters. With Game 3 on the horizon, the Pacers are set to host the Thunder in a crucial matchup this Wednesday at 8:30 p.m. ET, and the NBA will no doubt hope that the ratings will climb as the series progresses.
