Arenas Doubts NBC’s Spurs–Thunder Viewership Claims
Gilbert Arenas questioned NBC’s claim that Game 1 of the Spurs–Thunder Western Conference Finals was the most-watched opening game, arguing the 9.2 million figure is only an average live view snapshot and omits viewers who watched later, with no 24-hour finish number. He also noted cross-platform distribution (NBC/Peacock vs. ESPN/ABC) makes apples-to-apples comparisons difficult. Nonetheless, the piece acknowledges that, since the NBA moved games to free-to-air TV, overall viewership has risen and NBC’s numbers are considered credible by standard measures, even as Arenas’ critique highlights the complexity of counting a modern, multi-platform audience.
