The 2025 NBA Finals have been a commercial flop.
Despite the Indiana Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder having two distinct styles, with the league's MVP on the floor, the lack of perceived star power to the "casual fan" featuring small market franchises has plummeted ratings.
According to Nielsen, the first two games averaged just 8.84 million viewers, down nearly a quarter over the last three years and the lowest mark since 2007 (excluding the bubble).
Game 3 saw a modest bump to cross the 9M threshold, but there's still an overwhelming public sentiment that this series is not intriguing to the broader audience.
But is it so bad being the face of a small market?
Caitlin Clark recently suggested she and Tyrese Haliburton don't mind at all.
In a recent ESPN piece by Ramona Shelburne, Clark suggested that she and Haliburton love the Indy experience.
"Ty and I would both tell you this is where we both hope to stay the rest of our careers," Clark said, via Shelburne. "People are like, 'It's a small market.' But no, that's what makes it fun. These people, this is what means the world to them. We haven't hosted a Finals game in 25 years, and I've never seen this type of excitement. People are lining up three hours before the game. I literally just got the chills thinking about it."
It's still early in both of their careers, but this declaration from Clark sends a loud message to the city that the faces of sports in the state are in for the long haul.
It's also a notice to the potential free agents in both leagues that Indianapolis is building an electric basketball mecca that is here indefinitely.
Clark and Haliburton have something special brewing, and it's not stopping anytime soon.