Game 3 of the NBA Finals between the Indiana Pacers Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder averaged 9.19 million viewers on ABC Wednesday, representing the series’ highest-rated game despite declining 20 percent from last year’s comparable matchup.
The viewership figure marked a decrease from the 11.43 million viewers who watched Game 3 between the Boston Celtics and Dallas Mavericks in 2024. Indiana’s 116-107 victory gave the Pacers a 2-1 series lead in a competitive contest where neither team held a double-digit advantage.
The three-game average now stands at 8.95 million viewers, down 23 percent from the previous year’s Finals. Current numbers trail other low-rated Finals series, including the 2007 Cavaliers-Spurs matchup (9.08 million) and the 2021 Suns-Bucks series (8.99 million).
Game 3’s competitive nature provided a five percent viewership increase over Game 2, despite the earlier game airing on Sunday. The close contest shifted betting odds significantly, with the Thunder moving from seven-to-one favorites to approximately two-to-one odds according to DraftKings.
A longer, more competitive series could improve viewership for later games while generating additional revenue for the NBA and ESPN. The league has not featured a six-game Finals since 2022 or a seven-game series since 2016, when the decisive game drew 31 million viewers during the Warriors-Cavaliers rivalry peak.