Cavs-Thunder Matchup Draws 2.5 Million TV Viewers

The Cleveland Cavaliers and Oklahoma City Thunder. They’re all the rage in the NBA these days.

So it’s really no surprise that lots of people tuned in to see their showdown on Tuesday night in Cleveland. The game, televised by ESPN, lived up to the hype, too. It featured 30 ties and eight lead changes.

The Thunder once led by nine. The Cavs won by seven. And everyone was talking about it.

According to a release from the NBA, nearly 2 million people tuned in to watch the game, with viewership peaking at 2.5 million. That’s a lot of eyeballs for a Wednesday night NBA game in this age of distractions.

While the Thunder game was the national coming-out party for the #Cavs, we've known how good this team is. #LetEmKnow

"This is the team they've been all year; there's every reason to believe they will continue to be."

– @AmicoHoops

presented by: @drinkgaragebeer pic.twitter.com/QnztRF7KCA

— Full Court Cleveland (@FullCourtCLE) January 10, 2025

Along with that, “Cleveland Cavaliers” was the top trending topic on Twitter/X during the game.

The Cavs played the very next night, fighting their way past the Toronto Raptors, and have now won 12 straight. They’re an NBA-best 33-4 for the best start in franchise history.

The Thunder (30-6) have been almost equally amazing, entering that night on a 15-game winning streak. 

Oh, the teams meet again on Thursday, this time in OKC. That game will be carried by TNT.

What this tells us is that market size doesn’t really matter. Cleveland is the NBA’s 26th-largest market (out of 30th). Oklahoma City is 28th.

This was something Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson addressed after the game.

“I feel like there’s been a shift in the league,” he said. “I don’t hear people talking about, hey, this guy’s going to move over here. I don’t think Evan Mobley is thinking, hey I want to get to LA. …. They’re not looking to jump to the big markets. They’re happy here.

“I think it comes down to if you’re with an elite organization or not, I think that’s what that guys want. I think where that’s evolved to, and Evan Mobley, (Darius Garland), (Donovan Mitchell), they can be big stars in this market too. It’s such a global game and I don’t see any reason why (not). I feel like there’s a shift. Guys aren’t talking about that as much. Players aren’t talking that going to big markets as much.”

Cavs. Thunder. The rematch. Thursday. Be there. Based on the first game, odds are, you will.

The much-anticipated OKC-CLE game averaged 1.87 million viewers on ESPN Wednesday night, up +20% vs. the comparable window last year. The game peaked with 2.5 million viewers. The back-and-forth contest which featured 30 lead changes propelled the Cleveland Cavaliers to the No.… pic.twitter.com/JrbmEVPx0O

— NBA (@NBA) January 10, 2025