Tyrese Haliburton’s Game-Winner Not Enough as NBA Loses Nearly 25% Viewers in Finals

Tyrese Haliburton hitting the game-winning shot in the opening round of the 2025 NBA Finals has become viral.

Tyrese Haliburton’s Game-Winner Not Enough as NBA Loses Nearly 25% Viewers in Finals

Tyrese Haliburton's game-winner could not help stale Game 1 draw enough viewers (Image via FirstSportz)

Tyrese Haliburton sent basketball fans into a frenzy after he scored a ridiculous shot to help his Indiana Pacers win Game 1 of the NBA Finals over the Oklahoma City Thunder. The reason it shocked everyone was that up until then, the world believed the West Champions were going to win easily.

That game-winning shot was a reminder that the Pacers are not a team to be taken lightly, especially in late-game scenarios. Throughout the playoffs, they have proved that they can come back from any situation and win games.

Some end up demoralizing opponents, which inevitably results in series wins. However, the Thunder were close to doing the same to the Pacers. They dominated from tip-off and showed no signs of slowing down until those final few seconds.

It is possible that the lopsided affair played its hand in the viewership ratings. As per SportsMediaWatch, Game 1 managed to garner just 8.91 million viewers on average. That happens to be the lowest rating for an NBA Finals game (excluding the COVID-affected 2020-21 Finals) since 1988.

However, SMW did note that the numbers were rising towards the end of the game when the Pacers started to stage a comeback. When Tyrese Haliburton hit the game-winner, 11.07 million viewers were watching.

Even though those numbers might be impressive, they are still down by almost 25% from last year’s NBA Finals. Fan believed that was a borefest, but the Thunder seemingly going about their business, obliterating opponents, is almost the new low.

NBA tries to make most of terrible ratings despite Tyrese Haliburton’s heroics

These viewership numbers will be alarming for a league that had managed to bring back the attention of fans. Naturally, the reasons for fan interest were due to the trade deadline and the widespread competition that was prevalent.

Now, all those superstar-laden teams and other competitors have fallen by the wayside and have been replaced by two small-market teams. Both teams have star players. The Oklahoma City Thunder have the newest league MVP, and Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton‘s game-winners are elevating him to superstar status.

Even then, these numbers are not good enough, and it might be a worrying sign for affiliated networks that are pouring billions into the league. However, the NBA has tried to make the most of it with a positive post on their PR page, where two lines are what everyone needs to look at.

Nearly half of all 18- to 34-year-olds who were watching TV last night were tuned in to the NBA Finals. Game 1 generated more than 500 million views on social media – an all-time record.

NBA Communications on X

The league acknowledged that Tyrese Haliburton’s game-winning shot helped them bring in 11 million viewers. That is to say that the league understands that competitive basketball can bring viewers back. The league also stressed the move towards a younger audience.

NBA happy with growth among younger audience

In the NBA Communications release, it is clear that they are happy that younger audiences are watching the games. The fact that the NBA Finals dominated viewership amongst those below 35 years of age speaks volumes about how the league views its future audience.

Younger NBA fans want to watch younger stars shine
New NBA fans want to watch younger stars shine (Image via Max Gersh IndyStar/x)

They are trumpeting the fact that the younger fans are finding these games interesting, which will bode well for the future. The league has long struggled to find interest among older fans. Those older fans were accustomed to watching the bruising games from the 80s and 90s and harshly criticized today’s simpler game.

It should also give media houses a glimpse of who to target. The likes of LeBron James and Kevin Durant have lambasted veteran media heads for not appreciating today’s skill-oriented game. Having younger ones on board early on should deter those networks from fielding those ‘hating’ old analysts in the future.

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