The NBA Finals TV ratings are not off to a good start. Game 1 between the Boston Celtics and Dallas Mavericks averaged 10.99 million viewers on ABC. This is a 5% ratings dip from Nuggets versus Heat Game 1 last season.
Looking at more of the big picture, this is the lowest tv ratings for an NBA Finals Game 1 besides the 2 COVID seasons (2020 and 2021) since 2007. This comes as a bit of a surprise considering the Boston Celtics are one the biggest brands in basketball, Maverick’s Luka Doncic is a superstar, and Kyrie Irving is making his return to Boston.
The NBA has to be hoping for a back and forth series that could help bolster these viewership numbers.
NBA Finals Ratings
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The NBA Finals as of late have seen a dive in ratings. The league is currently in a transition stage from the stars of the early 2010s to the new up-and-comers. The numbers of viewers reflect this. Since Kobe Bryant retired, the biggest draw in the NBA has been Lebron James and Steph Curry. These two matched up in the finals against each other for four straight seasons.
The viewers for these Warriors-Cavs finals were the largest since Michael Jordan was still playing for the Chicago Bulls. When the Warriors or a Lebron-led team are both not in the finals, the numbers have dipped. The NBA needs to do a better job marketing their younger players instead of just trying to squeeze every dropout of the previous era.
2024 Finals Storylines
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There is no shortage of storylines for the 2024 NBA finals. The Boston Celtics are shooting for their 18th championship, which would move them above the Lakers for most in the NBA. Boston has been knocking at the door for a championship with this current core. This could finally be the breakthrough year.
Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic is seeking his first title. He looks to be the future face of the NBA and a championship on his resume would only cement this claim.
Another story is Kristaps Porzingis coming back from injury to play against his former team. Porzingis played with the Mavs during their last playoff run in 2022. He showed them what they were missing in game 1, with 20 points off the bench in the Celtics.
Likely the most dramatic story in this series is the return of Kyrie Irving to Boston. Irving and the Celtics had an ugly breakup after the 2019 season. He only played 2 seasons with Boston before leaving for Brooklyn. Irving has made it clear for his disdain of Celtics fans and the fans have been returning the favor. Every time he touches the ball, the whole city of Boston boos him so loud you can hear it through your TV. As a neutral fan in this situation, I love it. This is playoff ball!
Celtics-Mavericks Game 1
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Game 1 of these 2024 finals was not much of a game. The Celtics came out firing from 3-point land to take a 28-point first-half lead. Dallas cut the lead to 8 in the middle of the 3rd quarter, but immediately Boston regained full control en route to a 107-89 point victory. Jaylen Brown led the way for the Celtics with 22 points. Jayson Tatum added another 16 and Kristaps Porzingis in his first game back from injury lit it up for 20 points off the bench.
It’s possible that a lot of potential viewers ended up not tuning in because of how big of a blowout the game was early. If it was close during the 2nd quarter we may have seen an average viewership number higher than 10.99 million.
Being down 0-1, the Mavericks are going to need to come out strong in Game 2. We’ll see if viewers decide to show up more than they did in NBA Finals Game 1.
About the Author
Cory is an Oregon Duck alumni from the San Francisco Bay Area. He has been playing, watching, and following basketball + baseball his whole life. Follow Cory on X @cory_pappas1 for more breaking stories and game previews.
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