The worrying viewership data from the playoffs concerns the NBA

The 2025 NBA Playoffs are proving to be one of the worst in terms of viewership. The NBA is struggling to make its product stand out. Many fans have become disillusioned after controversies like Luka Doncic's trade to the Lakers and the subsequent number 1 pick that the Dallas Mavericks earned.

The sense is that the NBA has lost a lot of credibility as a fair and healthy competition. And the viewership doesn't forgive. The numbers for Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals between Oklahoma City Thunder and Minnesota Timberwolves were catastrophic.

Only an average of 4.62 million viewers watched ESPN during the game where OKC qualified for the NBA Finals. It's the lowest figure for the league in 12 years, since 2013, excluding the COVID season.

Viewership dropped by 26% compared to the 2024 Game 5 when the Mavs eliminated the Wolves. The entire OKC and Wolves series had an average of 5.59 million viewers, which is a 17% decrease from last year's series.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, El horrible dato de audiencias de los playoffs que preocupa a la NBA