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NBA Finals Game 2 struggled to get ratings

Originally posted on Ball Exclusives | By Titan Frey | Last updated Jun 11, 2025 10:28 AM ET

The second game of this year’s NBA Finals struggled to get ratings. The same scenario occurred in the first game of the series, but for Game 2, it was actually worse.

After Game 1 had the lowest ratings since 1988 with 8.91 million viewers, most believed Game 2 would perform much better. For starters, Game 2 was played on a Sunday. With how Game 1 ended, fans would flock to watch the next game.

Right? Wrong.

Viewership dipped to 8.76 million viewers, a 30% decrease from Game 2 of last year’s Finals between the Boston Celtics and Dallas Mavericks. This was also the least watched Finals Game 2 since 2007, if you disregard the 2020 series that was affected by COVID.

NBA Finals Game 2 averaged 8.76M viewers.

It’s the lowest Game 2 since the 2020 bubble — and the only Finals since 2007 where viewership dropped after Game 1.

(via Sports Media Watch) pic.twitter.com/PWdNdQ9ZfZ

— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) June 10, 2025

The Pacers-Thunder Game 2 was also the first Finals to draw fewer viewers in Game 2 compared to Game 1 since the 2007 series, which featured the Cleveland Cavaliers and San Antonio Spurs.

The product on the court has been solid, but the real issue stems from the league itself. Instead of effectively promoting its two small-market teams, the NBA has fallen short, and the lack of visibility is evident.

If this trend continues, the rest of the series will likely follow a similar pattern. Adjusting promotional strategies will be crucial for the NBA moving forward.

This article first appeared on Ball Exclusives and was syndicated with permission.

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