Warriors-Rockets Game 7 draws TV ratings not seen in NBA since 2009

There is no doubt that the first-round playoff series between the Golden State Warriors and Houston Rockets was a smash hit. Although Adam Silver and the league office probably would have liked to see less physicality due to all the technical and flagrant fouls assessed to the two teams, the ratings and viewership collected by the NBA prove that this is exactly what people wanted to see between the two teams.

This opening-round series between the Warriors and Rockets was one of two first-round series to go to a decisive Game 7, joining the Denver Nuggets and Los Angeles Clippers. However, Golden State and Houston drove viewership numbers at the start of the NBA Playoffs.

The final game of this series was played on Sunday, and it drew viewership numbers not seen in the NBA since 2009. TNT Sports’ Warriors-Rockets Game 7 was cable’s most-viewed Game 7 in a first-round series since 2009, averaging 6.6 million viewers.

In total, TNT says they saw a 4 percent increase in viewership over the first round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs, averaging 3.3 million viewers and ranking as the top cable net in prime through the first two weeks among people under 35 years old.

It really should not be a shock to the NBA for this series to draw the most attention.

Aside from all the antics involving Draymond Green, Dillon Brooks, and others, this rivalry has been relevant since the Warriors’ first title run in 2015. Stephen Curry and his team have always seemed to run into Houston come time for the playoffs, as many remember the historic battles against James Harden and Chris Paul.

This time around, it was Curry, Green, and Jimmy Butler leading the Warriors to battle against a young, athletic Rockets team that won 52 games during the regular season and claimed the 2-seed in the Western Conference. Golden State has always been one of the league’s most marketable teams, so it shouldn’t come as a shock to see Curry leading the way in terms of playoff viewership numbers.

Earlier in the playoffs, the league announced that the opening weekend of its eight series in the Eastern and Western Conferences saw viewership up 17% compared to 2024. As a result, this was the most-watched NBA Playoffs opening weekend in the last 25 years.

Television ratings and viewership numbers fluctuating has been a constant conversation across the NBA landscape over the last year. While there have been some low points at times, the league continues to see growth and increased interest during the biggest games of the year.

Once again, this is a reminder that Curry is still one of the faces of the league.