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Afternoon Edition

June 23, 2025

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NBA Finals ratings were way down this year. But drama intensified during an exciting series, and Game 7 between the Pacers and Thunder ended up as the most-watched NBA matchup of the 2020s.

— Colin Salao [[link removed]], Eric Fisher [[link removed]], and David Rumsey [[link removed]]

NBA Finals Game 7 Is Most-Watched Since 2019, but Series Drops 9% [[link removed]]

Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

The 2025 NBA Finals were one of the least-watched in history—but Game 7 delivered an important viewership lift.

The do-or-die Game 7 between the Thunder and Pacers drew 16.35 million viewers on ABC and ESPN+, the most-watched NBA game since Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals (Warriors vs. Raptors, 18.34 million).

The full seven-game series averaged 10.27 million viewers, down 9.3% compared to last year’s Finals between the Mavericks and Celtics (11.31 million). That makes it the least-watched NBA Finals series since 2021 (9.91 million, Bucks vs. Suns and the least-watched since 2007 when excluding COVID-19-impacted series (9.29 million, Spurs vs. Cavaliers).

Sunday’s game provided a 74% viewership lift compared to the 9.25 million viewership average of the first six games in the series. That’s more than the 65% average viewership lift the four other NBA Game 7s this century [[link removed]] provided to their series—Sunday’s game likely got a lift from streaming on ESPN+ [[link removed]], which was not the case for the first six games of the series, according to Sports Media Watch.

FOS graphic

The four other Game 7s this century also drew more total viewers than this year’s game. The most recent Game 7 between the Cavaliers and Warriors in 2016 drew 31 million viewers.

Viewership numbers for NBA Game 7s since 2000:

2025, Thunder vs. Pacers: 16.35 million 2016, Warriors vs. Cavaliers: 31 million 2013, Heat vs. Spurs: 26.32 million 2010, Lakers vs. Celtics: 28.2 million 2005, Pistons vs. Spurs: 19 million

Oklahoma City and Indiana are in the bottom-third of TV markets in the NBA, but the power of Game 7 helped the two small-market teams draw more than all but one game of the 2024 World Series between the Yankees and Dodgers [[link removed]].

However, the NBA Finals were down significantly compared to MLB’s previous Game 7s of the World Series in 2016 (40 million, Cubs vs. Cleveland), 2017 (28.2 million, Astros vs. Dodgers), and 2019 (23 million, Nationals vs. Astros).

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Two powerhouse teams are joining forces for one epic goal. Atlassian is thrilled to become the Official Title Partner and Official Technology Partner of Atlassian Williams Racing [[link removed]].

This is a partnership for the ages. As many of you know, Formula One is defined by high-stakes teamwork and innovation—and both Atlassian and Williams Racing were founded on those same principles.

For more than 20 years, Atlassian has been working alongside the highest-performing teams in the world developing and refining a System of Work for modern teams to work more effectively together. And now, in partnership with Williams and as part of a global community of F1 fans, we’re ready to turbo-charge teamwork on the racetrack.

A’s Launch $1.75B Ballpark Build With Funding Puzzle Still Unsolved [[link removed]]

HNTB

The forthcoming $1.75 billion ballpark for the A’s in Las Vegas is closer than ever to reality, with the club, city officials, and MLB staging a large-scale groundbreaking Monday morning at the stadium site. Even with that milestone, however, questions remain for the club, both in the short- and long-term.

The official event, more than four years in the making, arrives after an extended series of twists and turns including an initial stadium funding approval [[link removed]] in Nevada, MLB’s ratification of the team relocation [[link removed]] to Las Vegas, an emotional departure from Oakland [[link removed]], an initially discarded ballpark design [[link removed]], a revised but still unconventional vision [[link removed]] for the facility, and demolition at the site [[link removed]] along the famed Las Vegas Strip.

With much of that extended drama now complete, construction on the 33,000-seat ballpark is now moving full steam ahead in preparation for a spring 2028 opening.

“This is an epic moment for our 124-year-old franchise,” said A’s owner John Fisher. “Nevadans love baseball, and that’s given me tremendous confidence about what the future could be here.”

MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said the league remains fully committed to the Las Vegas market.

“Las Vegas has proven itself to be a great sports town and a great host to professional franchises,” he said. “The Athletics have a long and proud history. … I think about today as the beginning of a new chapter in that history.”

Final Funding?

More than a year ago, Fisher hired veteran sports finance company Galatioto Sports Partners [[link removed]] to help raise funding for the stadium project, with that consideration including potential sales of minority stakes of the club.

Nothing has been completed in that effort, and the stadium cost has grown somewhat [[link removed]]. More recently, Fisher also started a separate sales effort for the Earthquakes [[link removed]] of Major League Soccer, another franchise he owns.

Goldman Sachs and U.S. Bank are providing a $300 million construction loan for the A’s stadium, and Fisher has pledged that he and his family will contribute up to $1.1 billion. The final breakdown of the funding sources for the ballpark, however, remains a work in progress.

Back in Sacramento

The current iteration of the A’s, meanwhile, is facing more issues on and off the field in Sacramento, the club’s interim home for the 2025–27 seasons. An offseason spending push [[link removed]] designed to bring the team closer to contention and avoid union complications has not panned out as intended, as the club sits in last place in the American League West division with a 32–48 record.

A series of operational problems at Sutter Health Park [[link removed]], also the home of the Triple-A Sacramento River Cats, has grown to include fading acceptance by some star A’s players [[link removed]].

The club’s .357 winning percentage at home is significantly worse than its .447 mark on the road this year. Attendance, meanwhile, has also sagged as the club’s eight smallest crowds of the season have happened in the last three weeks. That’s helped drop the A’s behind the Rays, also playing this year in a minor league facility, for the worst average in the league at 9,722 per game.

Likely complicating the situation [[link removed]] is a much-debated decision by the A’s to not use the Sacramento city name [[link removed]] during this transition period.

Ryder Cup Gets Wilder As Bradley Could Play Dual Role [[link removed]]

Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

The most anticipated, controversial, and lucrative Ryder Cup in history continues to get even more wonky on and off the course.

Three months ahead of September’s event at Bethpage Black Golf Course in New York, the possibility of Keegan Bradley being the first playing captain at a Ryder Cup since Arnold Palmer in 1963 has reached a fever pitch.

Bradley, 39, who was named captain of the U.S. team last July after Tiger Woods turned down the role [[link removed]], won the PGA Tour’s Travelers Championship on Sunday, which boosted him eight spots up to ninth in the U.S. team Ryder Cup rankings. The top six after the Tour Championship in August automatically qualify for the squad, with Bradley on tap to select the final six to make up the 12-man team.

When he accepted the captaincy, Bradley said he wouldn’t use a captain’s pick on himself, and that he would play only if he qualified for the team. However, on Sunday night, he shifted his stance. “This changes the story a little bit,” Bradley said. “I never would have thought about playing if I hadn’t won. This definitely opens the door to play.”

Money Matters

Bradley playing as captain would no doubt further fuel what is already expected to be a rowdy home American crowd, which has led the PGA of America, which operates the Ryder Cup when it is played in the U.S. every four years, to take special security measures in preparation for unruly fans at Bethpage. On Sunday, the crowds at the Travelers Championship were repeatedly chanting “USA, USA” as Bradley came from behind to defeat England’s Tommy Fleetwood, an expected member of the European Ryder Cup team.

With up to 60,000 people on-site daily, September’s event will easily set revenue records [[link removed]], Ryder Cup championship director Bryan Karns previously told Front Office Sports.

The influx of income comes after tickets quickly sold out last year, despite outcry from many fans and media about the $750 general-admission price tag [[link removed]].

Meanwhile, in a first for the Ryder Cup, players on the U.S. team will receive a $200,000 stipend [[link removed]] for competing in the biennial team golf event. Players on the European team, who will continue to not receive any payment, have questioned the need for the Americans to be compensated. Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy previously said he “would pay for the privilege to play on the Ryder Cup” team.

FRONT OFFICE SPORTS TODAY What Happens Next for Thunder and Pacers?

FOS illustration

The Thunder pulled off a Game 7 victory to win the NBA Finals, but their future could be even more exciting. FOS writer Colin Salao joins Baker Machado and Renee Washington to discuss the OKC model that the rest of the league should be trying to emulate.

On the other side, the Pacers face difficult decisions in the wake of Tyrese Haliburton’s torn Achilles. With basketball fever rampant in Indiana behind the success of the Pacers and Fever, FOS reporter Alex Schiffer says the joint team ownership should do whatever it takes to keep the momentum going.

Plus, Kevin Durant has been traded from the Suns, but this is just the start of what could be a long offseason for Mat Ishbia’s club. Suns reporter Duane Rankin discusses what’s still to come.

Watch the full episode here [[link removed]].

STATUS REPORT Two Up, One Down, One Push

Florida Times-Union

Travis Hunter ⬆ The No. 2 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft signed his four-year rookie contract with the Jaguars on Sunday, worth $46.65 million. He received a $30.57 million signing bonus that was paid up front [[link removed]], which is rare for non-quarterbacks who weren’t selected No. 1 overall.

Tom Brady ⬆ The former quarterback won the Fanatics Games, which saw athletes and celebrities compete against fans in a variety of competitions. Brady said he would not keep the $1 million prize, instead giving $5,000 to each of the 50 fans who competed and donating the rest to charity.

Puma ⬇ The Achilles injury to Tyrese Haliburton is a blow to the brand after he had just debuted his first signature shoe [[link removed]], Hali 1, in Game 1 of the 2025 NBA Finals two weeks ago. Haliburton signed a multiyear deal with Puma in October.

FIFA Club World Cup ⬆⬇ The tournament being played in the U.S. this month crossed the one-million mark in attendance Sunday, but it dealt with extremely sparse crowds [[link removed]] at many matches last week.

FRONT OFFICE SPORTS LIVE

Hang Out in the Hamptons

Summer is here and Front Office Sports is headed back to the Hamptons.

On Aug. 1, Huddle in the Hamptons [[link removed]] with official partner UBS will bring together business leaders in sports, entertainment, media, finance, and technology for an afternoon of panels, networking, and activities.

This invite-only experience for VIPs, tastemakers, athletes, and power brokers will be a quintessential summer Friday, consisting of thought leadership, engaging brand activations, and networking over friendly competition.

Learn more about the event, request to attend, or become a partner here [[link removed]].

Conversation Starters Thirty-one-year-old Alex Caruso, who won an NBA title with the Lakers in 2020, had to teach his Thunder teammates how to pop champagne in the locker room. Take a look [[link removed]]. Kevin Durant found out he was traded from Phoenix to Houston while onstage at Fanatics Fest. Watch his reaction [[link removed]]. Check out [[link removed]] a day in the life of Phil Pritchard, the keeper of the Stanley Cup. Editors’ Picks Pac-12 Announces CBS As ‘Anchor’ in New Media-Rights Deal [[link removed]]by Amanda Christovich [[link removed]]The league may announce expansion before finalizing the rest of the package. Premier League’s NFL Ties Deepen As Jets Owner Buys Crystal Palace [[link removed]]by Ben Horney [[link removed]]John Textor was at risk of running afoul of the UEFA’s ownership rules. Advertise [[link removed]] Awards [[link removed]] Learning [[link removed]] Events [[link removed]] Video [[link removed]] Shows [[link removed]] Written by Colin Salao [[link removed]], Eric Fisher [[link removed]], David Rumsey [[link removed]] Edited by Matthew Tabeek [[link removed]], Or Moyal [[link removed]], Catherine Chen [[link removed]]

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