The first game of the NBA Western Conference Finals between the Minnesota Timberwolves and Oklahoma City Thunder averaged 5.36 million viewers across ESPN and ESPN2, according to a report from Jon Lewis of Sports Media Watch. As a result, the game finished as the least-watched conference finals opening matchup since the LA Clippers faced the Phoenix Suns on ABC four years ago, which aired one month later than usual and collected an average of 4.72 million viewers. The matchup was also the least-watched conference final game since Game 5 of the Atlanta Hawks’ series against the Milwaukee Bucks in the same year, a matchup that averaged 4.92 million viewers.
Excluding playoffs directly impacted by the global pandemic in 2020 and 2021, the Western Conference Finals game represented the least-watched first game of the conference finals since the Memphis Grizzlies and San Antonio Spurs faced off on ABC in 2013, which registered an average of 4.85 million viewers. Compared to the previous year’s matchup featuring the Dallas Mavericks and Minnesota Timberwolves airing on TNT and truTV, the presentation was down by 24%. ESPN aired the Eastern Conference Finals last year featuring the Indiana Pacers and Boston Celtics, the first game in which averaged 6.44 million viewers, resulting in this year’s game to be down by 17%.
ESPN provided on-site coverage from Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Okla. featuring play-by-play announcer Mike Breen, analysts Doris Burke and Richard Jefferson and reporter Lisa Salters. The lead broadcast team will call the NBA Finals, marking the 23rd consecutive season in which ABC will air coverage of the championship round. The Western Conference Finals are also featuring an InsightCast featuring Ryan Ruocco, Tim Legler and Kirk Goldsberry, the first of which averaged 366,000 viewers on ESPN2. The on-site edition of NBA Countdown featuring Malika Andrews, Stephen A. Smith, Bob Myers, Kendrick Perkins and Michael Malone averaged 1.16 million viewers, up 21% from the previous year.
The Walt Disney Company is set to embark on a new 11-year media rights contract with the NBA, under which ABC will be the home of the NBA Finals for the length of the term. The deal is reportedly worth $2.62 billion per season, and it includes various marquee regular-season and playoff matchups airing across ESPN and ABC.
As the network completes the final year of its existing rights deal, it recently reported that viewership of the NBA Playoffs on ESPN platforms entering the third round was up 12% from last season. This was highlighted by Game 7 of the Denver Nuggets and Oklahoma City Thunder series averaging 6.34 million viewers on ABC, the most-watched program on Monday among all key demographics.
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