Game 1 of the NBA Finals was cinematic — an underdog pulling off a massive comeback was capped off by yet another game winner from the NBA’s ‘most overrated’ player. The NBA Finals production, meanwhile, was unanimously disappointing.
For a series heavily favored in one direction, the first game delivered more than NBA fans anticipated, but the ratings did not. Game 1 was the lowest-rated and least-watched Finals opener ever recorded.
It’s becoming clear that the ratings issues don’t lie with the players or organizations; the problem is with the league’s Finals production.
What’s wrong
Social media was in a frenzy after Game 1, but not just over Tyrese Haliburton‘s game-winner. Once the buzzer-beater hysteria died down, it became clear that fans around the world had a paramount problem with what they were watching.
The communal opinion is that the Finals have no hype. There’s less excitement, promotion, and seemingly a lack of care from the league to put the championship series on a pedestal.
One of the most talked about problems was the floor — it lacked a trophy logo, any sort of interesting design or features. There was nothing special about it.
During the NBA Cup, each game featured a completely new floor with an image of the trophy. Why is the actual NBA championship promoted less?
When you watch the game back, you notice the bland feel to the court. The only difference between Game 1 and a regular season game is a different score bug.
There’s very little promotion of the Finals anywhere on the screen. No patches on the jerseys, lackluster advertising, and no Finals decals on the court.
Following fan reactions, the NBA placed a digital image of the Larry O’Brien on the Game 2 broadcast in an attempt to repair the negative publicity they received.
To no surprise, this wasn’t what the fans wanted, and this didn’t fix their mistakes at all.
Rather than promoting the game they play, and the trophy they play for, the NBA clutters the floor with advertisements. They sell more space for ads than their own game. The most prevalent decal on the 2025 NBA Finals court is the YouTube TV logo.
It’s reminiscent of Ricky Bobby selling his car windshield to Fig Newtons in Talladega Nights.
Finals Pregame Production
Any basketball fan in the world can tell you about the Chicago Bulls signature player introductions to “Sirius” by the Alan Parsons Project.
Where did this go? When did the Finals production stop being fun?
Broadcasting has resorted to prioritizing advertising space and ditching these unique looks into the arena experience. They’re even excluding the national anthem, a cardinal tradition before the Super Bowl, Stanley Cup and other sporting events.
The goal for networks was to make fans feel like they’re at the game itself. The product of today is a giant advertisement for anything other than the Finals, accompanied with commentary from fan-least-favorites, Doris Burke and Richard Jefferson.
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What must change
After Game 1 and 2, things are becoming clear. This isn’t a basketball problem; it’s not about the markets, it’s about the NBA and their failure to promote the series.
First, they need to put the Finals logo back on the court. It’s embarrassing that the NBA puts more effort into their in-season tournament, instead of the biggest prize in their sport.
The promotion must be prevalent. Feature jerseys with the Larry O’Brien trophy, specially design the court, and make the actual game look very clearly like the most important event.
It’s very opinionated to say that an event has ‘less hype’ than it used to, but evidence shows that these games aren’t featuring the same build-up that we remember.
This NBA has the greatest athletes in the world, and is one of the most popular sports in the world, but their laziness is failing their fans and players.
Before main event fights in the UFC, they show a promotional video of the storyline between the two fighters. It promotes the fight, creates a storyline, and catches up a new viewer to the action.
Additionally, the NHL made a promotional trailer for their finals. There’s no reason to exclude this from a broadcast. The amount of talent in athletic cinema turn the tides of pregame shows.
Make fans feel like they’re in the arena. Make them value the small aspects of the game that bring the sport to something larger than life.
Many fans joked that they wouldn’t watch the Finals due to the teams playing in them, but it raises a legitimate point.
The NBA can’t just expect people to watch because “it’s the Finals.” They have to make people excited and give fans a reason to turn on their TV.
It’s clear that the players are doing their job to bring in viewers. It’s time for the NBA to step up and make the Finals special again.
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