Game 1 of the NBA Western Conference Finals flopped in the ratings.
Tuesday’s Timberwolves-Thunder NBA Western Conference Finals Game 1 averaged 5.36 million viewers across ESPN and an ESPN2 “InsightCast” (366K), marking the least-watched conference final opener since Clippers-Suns on ABC in 2021, which aired a month out of schedule on Father’s Day (4.72M).
It was also the least-watched conference final game of any kind since Hawks-Bucks Game 5 in that same 2021 postseason, which aired in July (4.92M).
Excluding the COVID-delayed playoffs of 2020 and 2021, it was the least-watched conference final opener since Grizzlies-Spurs on ABC in 2013 (4.85M) and the least-watched conference final game since Bucks-Raptors Game 4 on TNT in 2019 (5.3M).
Oklahoma City’s blowout win declined 24% from last year’s Mavericks-Timberwolves Game 1 on TNT and truTV (7.02M). Compared to last year’s conference final on the ESPN networks, viewership also fell 17% from Pacers-Celtics Game 1 in the Eastern Conference (6.44M).
Notably, the “NBA Countdown” pregame show increased 21% from last year (to 1.16M).
The Thunder, whose 12.9 regular season point differential was the best in NBA history, are prone to routing teams. While Game 1 was close into the second half, Oklahoma City ended up winning by 26 — following a 32-point Game 7 win over Denver on Sunday, a 43-point Game 2 win over the Nuggets, and an infamous 51-point drubbing of Memphis to open the playoffs last month.
Oklahoma City is not alone in running teams off the court — their 51-point win over Memphis was surpassed by Cleveland’s 55-point trouncing of Miami — but their potential title run may be short on drama.
It is also worth noting that the Thunder are the smallest market conference finalist since they last made it this far nine years ago.
