The NBA brilliantly spun the NBA Finals' low TV ratings into a win
The NBA brilliantly spun the NBA Finals' low TV ratings into a win
So far, the 2025 NBA Finals are on track to be one of the league's least-watched championship series this century. Of course, I'm only stating a fact. I'm not saying any NBA fan should actually care about low TV ratings, because you shouldn't. You don't work for the NBA. Watch the games or don't. It doesn't mean a tangible thing to you.
But even as fewer people tune into the Oklahoma City Thunder's and Indiana Pacers' battle on the NBA's biggest stage, the league has already found a brilliant way to spin its "smaller" television audience.
Is it true that, on average, fewer people are watching these Finals than normal? Yes. Absolutely.
According to NBA PR, however, that doesn't change the fact that both Game 1 and Game 2 were easily the most-watched programs in all of television since the start of May. Oh, and for those tracking young people's attention spans, almost half of everyone aged 18-34 who watched TV during the runtimes of Game 1 and Game 2 were actually watching the Finals. Throw in some massive social media engagement, and it sure seems like concerns about the NBA Finals' low TV ratings have been overblown.
That, or the NBA's PR just really knows how to spin good news:
These are legitimately praiseworthy bullet points about the NBA's success with its current championship series. I'm not sure how the NBA came to these concrete conclusions, especially with streaming involved, and most major television networks and platforms not really running their best shows in the spring and summer. Still, these numbers are eye-opening.
From my vantage point, it sure seems like the league is a lot healthier than some people want to believe
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