Overview

• On ESPN, Game 1 averaged 1.9 million viewers and peaked at 2.5 million, the biggest Finals opener since 1997 and the second-largest Finals audience since 2000, per Sports Media Watch.
• The 2025 postseason is averaging about 1.2 million viewers, up 16% year over year across ESPN networks.
• Nielsen’s 2025 updates—expanded out-of-home viewing and a Big Data + Panel rollout—inflate this season’s baseline and complicate comparisons with prior years.
• Las Vegas edged Phoenix 89–86 in Game 1 and won Game 2 to take a 2–0 series lead, with viewership for the second game not yet reported.
• Rising ratings are factoring into ongoing CBA negotiations before the Oct. 31 deadline, as some players discuss strike options and commissioner Cathy Engelbert publicly vows to address player concerns.