The NBA Finals Has A Ratings Problem

In the middle of one of the most electrifying NBA Finals matchups in recent memory, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver is calling out a trend that continues to overshadow the on-court brilliance: an obsession with TV ratings.

As the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers battle for their first-ever championship, Silver is urging fans and media to stop fixating on numbers and instead focus on the basketball itself.

Ahead of Game 2 of the 2025 Finals, Silver addressed the ever-growing ratings chatter that seems to follow the league year-round, calling it an odd but persistent phenomenon.

"I think about it a lot. I mean, on one hand, I'm looking at Mike Bass, the Head of Communications, and I like the fact that people are talking about us. I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing. It seems a little unusual how much discussion there is around ratings in this league."

"Again, as I said, I'm a fan of all sports and I follow lots of media and it seems like there's a lot more chatter."

"And even for me, just walking down the street and fans coming up to me often and it frustrates me that the first thing they say is, ‘how are the ratings,' or, ‘what are the ratings going to be,' as opposed to, ‘wow, you just had two incredible Conference Finals. What a great playoff series you've had.' So I can't quite put my finger on it."

Silver's comments came after the first game of the finals only averaged a 4.7 rating and 8.91 million viewers on ABC. It was one of the lowest-rated and least-watched NBA Finals openers since Nielsen tracking began in 1988. The viewership was more than the 2020 and 2021 finals, but those were impacted by COVID-19.

Last season's NBA Finals opener between the Boston Celtics and Dallas Mavericks averaged a 5.8 rating and 11.31 million viewers.