NBA finals viewership surge busts myth about small-market teams

The "small-market NBA teams don't draw" crew is in shambles. 

Game 7 of the NBA Finals between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers — the 24th and 26th-ranked franchises in terms of valuation — was the most watched Finals contest in six years.

The series-decider averaged a tally of 16.35 million viewers, making it the most watched Finals game since Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals between the Toronto Raptors and Golden State Warriors, which topped 18 million viewers. The Thunder's closeout win peaked at 19.28 million viewers from 9:45-10 p.m. ET, in the waning moments of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Co. celebrating their championship. 

The NBA noted that Sunday's Game 7 was the most-watched Finals game worldwide on NBA League Pass, increasing 42 percent from last year's Celtics vs. Mavericks title-clinching Game 5. The league also experienced a rise in social media engagement, with this year's Finals generating five billion views, a 215 percent increase from last year.  

Granted, this year's Finals had lower overall viewership compared to recent years, with a seven-game average of 10.28 million viewers, surpassing only 2003 (Spurs-Nets), 2007 (Spurs-Cavaliers), and 2019 and 2020 (affected by COVID) in the last two decades. 

A resounding success

Still, it's undeniable that the high-quality basketball put forth by the Thunder and Pacers — who competed in the second-youngest NBA Finals by average combined age — resonated with fans. 

Basketball fans have shown that they will watch the beautiful sport when the product is good, regardless of the market involved or the lack of star power. Many of them were likely unaware of the Thunder and Pacers, who ranked 11th and 16th, respectively, in national TV broadcasts last season (including NBA TV). 

They watched, discovered and now they know. The Thunder and Pacers are here to stay.  

Earlier this week, former NBA All-Star Gilbert Arenas told "The Dan Patrick Show" that the 2025 Finals won't be remembered due to the involvement of two small-market teams.

Arenas, like many others, were proven wrong.