The NBA officially kicked off the second round of the Playoffs with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Indiana Pacers after a highly entertaining first round. Whether it was Anthony Edwards' Minnesota Timberwolves dominating LeBron James' Los Angeles Lakers or Stephen Curry leading the Golden State Warriors past the Houston Rockets, there was no shortage of fun moments.

And the NBA's national TV ratings from the first round certainly confirmed that.

First Round TV ratings of NBA Playoffs has critics in shambles

According to the league, the first round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs averaged 3.7 million viewers across the three networks broadcasting games: ABC, ESPN, and TNT. That 3.7 million figure is up six percent from the 3.5 million viewers in the first round of the 2024 NBA Playoffs.

Opening weekend of the 2025 NBA Playoffs — April 19th and 20th — drew in 4.4 million viewers, which was up 17 percent from opening weekend of the 2024 Playoffs. The opening weekend was also the most watched opening weekend of the playoffs in 25 years.

The league also saw a strong presence on social media and NBA League Pass in the first round.

According to the league's data, NBA League Pass saw it's most-viewed First Round ever, with a +24% increase in watch time from the first round of the 2024 NBA Playoffs.

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Across social and digital platforms like Twitter/X, Instagram, TikTok, etc., the First Round was the most-viewed ever with more than 12.8 billion views combined across the accounts from the league, teams, and third-party accounts. According to Videocites, that number is up a whopping 31 percent year-over-year.

Videos on social media of Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards saw over 241 million views on NBA accounts during the First Round, by far the most of any player. Edwards also gained roughly 110,000 followers on Instagram, the most of any player in that span.

The second round of the NBA Playoffs is now underway, with a number of captivating matchups.

The Boston Celtics and New York Knicks are matching up for the 15th time in playoff history. The East-leading Cleveland Cavaliers are facing the hungry Indiana Pacers for the third time in nine postseasons.

Meanwhile, the Denver Nuggets and Oklahoma City Thunder are facing off in a battle of leading MVP candidates Nikola Jokic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. On the other side of the bracket, the Golden State Warriors and Minnesota Timberwolves will face off in the postseason for the first time in NBA history, led by four-time Champion Stephen Curry and rising superstar Anthony Edwards.