Pacers-Knicks Game 7 Delivered Low Ratings Thanks To PGA Championship

What could be better than a Game 7 at Madison Square Garden between the New York Knicks and Indiana Pacers? Apparently, for many sports fans, the PGA Championship battle between Xander Schauffele and Bryson DeChambeau. 

According to Sports Media Watch, Sunday's matchup between the Knicks and Pacers "averaged a 3.4 and 6.45 million on ABC — down 11% in ratings and 24% in viewership from Sixers-Celtics in the same window last year (3.9, 8.44M) and the least-watched second round Game 7 on broadcast television since Blazers-Nuggets in 2019 (6.35M)." 

Woof, that's brutal. Part of the reason is that the game started at 3:30 p.m. on Sunday afternoon. That was directly against the final round of the PGA Championship, which saw renewed interest thanks to the arrest of the world's #1 golfer, Scottie Scheffler, on Friday morning. 

Plus, the tournament itself was incredible. After Bryson DeChambeau birdied the final hole of his tournament to tie Xander Schauffele, Schauffele made a birdie of his own to win the tournament on the final hole. 

Sunday’s final round of the PGA Championship averaged a 2.9 rating and 4.96 million viewers on CBS, up 8% in ratings and 10% in viewership from last year (2.6, 4.52M), despite facing an NBA playoff Game 7 for the first time," according to SMW.

Xander Schauffele's win at the 2024 PGA Championship cut into the ratings of the Indiana Pacers' Game 7 win over the New York Knicks.

(Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

Throw in the fact that Viktor Hovland, playing alongside DeChambeau, also played an incredible final round and was a factor until his 72nd hole, and the PGA Championship was ripe for drama. 

The New York Knicks and Indiana Pacers Game 7… not so much. The Pacers led by over 20 points in the first half and although the Knicks made it interesting for a little while in the second half, Indiana eventually cruised to a 21-point victory. 

Knicks vs. Indiana Pacers Game 7 didn't help NBA's ongoing ratings struggle 

You'd think that having the Knicks in a Game 7 would draw record numbers, but it didn't. The fact that it's the worst Game 7 audience since a matchup between the Blazers and Nuggets is a disastrous result for the NBA, which continues to suffer in the ratings department as fans look for other things to watch. 

Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinal between the New York Knicks and Indiana Pacers saw lower-than-expected ratings thanks to PGA Championship.

(Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)

"Through the second round, NBA playoff games were averaging a 2.0 rating and 3.77 million viewers across ABC, ESPN, TNT/truTV and NBA TV — down 10% in ratings and 11% in viewership from the same point last year (2.3, 4.25M)," Sports Media Watch reported. 

While other sports are gaining viewers, the NBA continues to lose them. The Stanley Cup Playoffs are up this year over last year and with the New York Rangers advancing to the Eastern Conference Final, that trend figures to continue. 

The NBA is going to need some incredible games over the next several weeks, or it figures to continue to struggle to draw an audience.