2025 NBA Draft posts lackluster TV ratings despite Cooper Flagg attention

While the NBA world was certainly excited to see Duke star Cooper Flagg have his name called by commissioner Adam Silver during the 2025 NBA Draft, the league certainly had a rough night after seeing a dip in television ratings.

RELATED: Cooper Flagg's NBA Summer League debut set

Like many anticipated, Flagg was selected first overall by the Dallas Mavericks, who improbably defied the odds of grabbing the top pick with less than a two percent chance. However, the attention surrounding the big man wasn't enough to give the NBA the viewership that they expected.

As a whole, the NBA Draft ratings were down 14.5 percent for the first round of coverage, and perhaps that was because the top two players taken were virtually set in stone for weeks and months in the lead up to the event.

Flagg was followed by Rutgers guard Dylan Harper, who impressed during his freshman season in New Jersey while playing alongside Ace Bailey.

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