Adam Silver On Finals Ratings: ‘We’re Winning the Night’

And he didn’t sound the least bit concerned.

Speaking before Game 3 in Indianapolis, Silver made it clear that while this series might not feature household names in Los Angeles or Boston, it’s still doing just fine with viewers.

“People compare us to 20 years ago,” Silver said on ESPN. “Games 1 and 2 so far are the highest-rated programs in May and June so far on television. And if something beats us, it will be another sports program. Back 20 years ago, we often didn’t win the night when the Finals were on.”

In other words: the market size might be small, but the interest is big enough — especially in today’s fragmented media landscape.

Frankly, people don’t just tune in for zip codes, they tune in for a story. And this Finals has one.

And as for the basketball? It’s been wild, fast and fearless — which might just be the best kind of marketing the league could ask for.