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The 2025 NBA Playoffs have been filled with thrilling matchups featuring old-school superstars like Stephen Curry and LeBron James as well as new-school stars like Anthony Edwards and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Only four teams remain heading into the Conference Finals: the Minnesota Timberwolves, Oklahoma City Thunder, Indiana Pacers, and New York Knicks.
While viewership and ratings have been a hot topic of debate across the league throughout the 2024-25 season, there has been no denying the facts stemming from the numbers that the playoffs are pulling. Before the start of the Western and Eastern Conference Finals, the NBA released data proving that the first two rounds of the playoffs have resulted in the second-most watched NBA Playoffs since 2014.
NBA playoff games are averaging 4.17 million viewers across ABC, ESPN, and TNT, a 3% increase compared to 2024 and the second-most watched playoffs through the conference semifinals in the last 11 seasons, trailing only the 2023 playoffs. The 2025 NBA Conference Semifinals averaged 4.91 million viewers, up 1% compared to last year.
The final game of the conference semifinals took place on Sunday with the Thunder defeating the Denver Nuggets 125-93 to advance into the Western Conference Finals. This game on ABC averaged 6.34 million viewers and peaked with 7.63 million viewers at 5:15 pm ET. It was the most-watched program for May 18 in all key demographics, per league release.
Before this final game between Denver and Oklahoma City, the Knicks and Boston Celtics concluded their series in New York. Game 6 of this series on May 16 averaged 5.73 million viewers on ESPN, up 14% versus the comparable night last year in the playoffs.
The most-watched game of the playoffs remains Game 4 between the Timberwolves and Los Angeles Lakers in the first round, which averaged 7.35 million viewers.
In the first round of the NBA Playoffs, Game 7 between the Golden State Warriors and Houston Rockets became cable's most-viewed Game 7 in a first-round series since 2009, averaging 6.6 million viewers.
While there may be times over the course of the 82-game regular season that the NBA sees a decline in viewership and ratings, it is clear that the NBA Playoffs continue to reach record marks.
Now, the league turns its attention to crowing its seventh different champion in the last seven seasons entering the Conference Finals. The Knicks are the only remaining team in the playoffs to have won a championship, as the other three have never won an NBA title.
Indiana won the ABA title three times, while the Thunder have not won a championship since relocating and rebranding from the Seattle SuperSonics before the 2008-09 season. Oklahoma City does not recognize SuperSonics history and championships as part of team lore.
The first game of the Western Conference Finals between the Timberwolves and Thunder will be played on Tuesday, May 20. New York and Indiana will begin their Eastern Conference Finals series on Wednesday, May 21.
