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 lRead More
NBA finals viewership surge busts myth about small-market teams
