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Now that the teams are set for the 2025 NBA Finals, the raft of analysis about the series and what it means has begun. On social media, in particular, but also in mainstream media coverage, there’s been a lot of discussion over the fact that the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers both hail from “small markets,” with some suggestions that will lessen the sense of prestige of the Finals, perhaps impacting television viewing figures, but generally leading to a lack of fan interest.

It is, on one hand, an interesting topic for debate, yet, it also feels pretty pointless. Rising and waning interest in sports competitions usually depends on narratives, storytelling about the teams and players participating. And the showdown between OKC and the Pacers has some pretty interesting ones that trump any worries of small market lack of interest.

Everyone loves an underdog narrative

For a start, you have a classic David and Goliath situation, where the all-conquering OKC – one of the best performers in the NBA regular season in the modern era – against a team that few thought would get this far. Everyone thought it would be the Celtics, or perhaps the Knicks or Cavs, that faced OKC in the Finals, yet it’s the Pacers, and that underdog status is a story to get behind. Of course, there’s also the narrative of a player rising to the very top of the game – Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. All of those things combine to catch the eyes of fans who don’t see themselves as fans of the two franchises.

Indeed, you could argue that the most clear and present danger to fan interest is a whitewash. OKC is heavily favored in sportsbooks’ NBA Championship odds, and it could go quickly downhill for the Pacers if we are going by the formbook alone. Should it feel like the Pacers are not going to put up a fight across the series, then casual fans will probably tune out of an OKC championship procession. Yet, the reverse is also true: the Pacers putting up a fight will ignite a spark of fan interest.

A competitive series will always draw fans

Overall, though, the theory that narratives are much more important than small markets for interest is backed up by evidence. While there is some correlation between teams with smaller fanbases and city catchment areas and lower ratings, historical evidence also points to longer series – those that are competitive – growing in ratings as the series progresses. That makes sense logically – everyone is going to tune in for a Game 7, although they might skip a Game 2.

This article from Sports Media Watch does a good job of explaining how ratings from small markets series can be high depending on the narrative, pointing to surges in views in NBA Finals like the Raptors vs. Warriors (2019) and Cavaliers vs. Warriors (2016) drew huge viewerships at specific points in the series. The article goes further, too, looking at other sports, including small market teams in the NFL – the Chiefs and Packers – and how there is no correlation in fan interest when they succeed.

Of course, none of this is meant to say that the NBA will just coast to huge ratings over the coming weeks. There have been concerns across the season about the appeal of the league, with everything from a lack of defense to injuries to the rise of 3-point strategies picked out as a potential culprit. Yet, like all sports, when the story of the teams involved offers something compelling and competitive, casual fans won’t care where the teams come from, and will tune-in in their droves.