Thunder Win First NBA Title Since Seattle Relocation

The Oklahoma City Thunder won their first NBA championship since relocating from Seattle, defeating the Indiana Pacers 103-91 in Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals. The decisive game drew an average of 16.4 million viewers and peaked at 19.3 million, making it the most-watched NBA Finals game in six years. Despite this surge, the series averaged 10.3 million viewers per game, a 9% decline from last year and the lowest since 2007, excluding pandemic-impacted seasons. The lower overall viewership is attributed to the smaller media markets of Oklahoma City and Indianapolis. However, the Finals accounted for the seven most-watched primetime TV broadcasts since May, and NBA Playoff games on ABC and ESPN averaged 6.1 million viewers, up 10% from the previous year. The NBA also recorded 5 billion social media views during the Finals, a 215% increase over 2024.