NBA Finals ratings rise for Game 3; series still down
The viewership numbers made a modest comeback in Game 3 on Wednesday night as the Indiana Pacers beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 116-107 to take a 2-1 lead in the NBA Finals.
The game in Indianapolis averaged 9.19 million viewers on ABC, a 5 percent increase from Game 2, according to a report from Front Office Sports on Friday.
That's still a 20 percent drop from the 11.43 million who watched Game 3 of the 2024 NBA Finals between the Boston Celtics and Dallas Mavericks.
It was the least-watched Finals Game 3 since the 2020 COVID "bubble" year when 6.08 million tuned in for the Miami Heat and Los Angeles Lakers -- a contest that occurred on an NFL Sunday in October.
The Pacers' Game 3 win peaked with 11.54 million viewers during the 11 p.m. ET quarter-hour. That surpassed the final minutes of Game 1 (11.1 million) as the highest point of the series so far.
The three-game average for the best-of-seven series is up to 8.95 million viewers, a 23 percent decline from 2024.
Game 4 is Friday night in Indianapolis and Game 5 is Monday in Oklahoma City.
--Field Level Media
More latest news
Caitlin Clark, Fever players support investigation into fan behavior
Caitlin Clark and her Indiana Fever teammates on Monday addressed the WNBA's investigation into allegations of hateful comments or noises made toward players during the season opener in Indianapolis
Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese rivalry game draws big ratings
Saturday's game between the Caitlin Clark-led Indiana Fever and the Chicago Sky drew an average of 2.7 million viewers on ABC, making it the most watched WNBA regular-season contest in 25 years, per
Angel Reese grateful for support from WNBA, Sky
Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese thanked the WNBA and her team for their support as an investigation into verbal abuse directed at the 23-year-old during Saturday's loss to the Indiana Fever. Reese was