Playoff Weekend at American Airlines Center Peaked at 1.15 Million Viewers with the Dallas Power v. Miami 305 Game Averaging 958,000
Today, the BIG3 announced that the 2025 Celebrity and Playoff Games played last weekend at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, TX, reached more than 790,000 viewers on CBS, recording the highest CBS viewership of the season by more than 200,000 viewers. The 219-minute broadcast began at 3pm ET and featured three unique games. Of those viewers, 376,000 were between 18-49 years old, with 18-54 peaking at 495,000 and 18-49 peaking at 452,000. The final playoff game between the Dallas Power and Miami 305 averaged 958,000, the highest-rated BIG3 game in CBS history. Season-to-date, viewership on CBS is up more than 25%, with last weekend's telecast up almost 50% over the same period in season seven. The league returns for the final broadcast of season eight this weekend, live from Addition Financial Arena in Orlando, FL, beginning at 2pm ET on CBS.
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“These outstanding numbers reflect the energy and competition level that fans have come to expect from the BIG3,” said BIG3 CEO Ice Cube. “One of our main goals this year with the transition to location-based teams was to have our fans feel represented and to see our viewers evolve from fans of the league to fans of their hometown team – and that's exactly what these ratings tell us. We're still a young league, and this is just the beginning. The Championship next weekend will be one of the most competitive in league history, and you'll just have to see it live to believe it. This Sunday, CBS, 2pm ET.”
Last weekend's games saw Celebrity Team Clyde beat Team Ice Cube for the first time in league history, with 3-time Celebrity Game MVP Gillie not able to shut down Team Clyde's former BIG3 Rookie of the Year Hezi God, Jose “Pepe” Garcia from Love Island, and Waka Flocka. In the first playoff matchup, 2025 Rookie of the Year Montrezl Harrell led his team to the championship game, putting the pieces in place for Dr. J to finally have a shot at winning his eponymous BIG3 Championship Trophy. After a fantastic final stretch, the Dallas Power fought tooth and nail to shut down MichaelBeasley and the Miami 305 but, ultimately fell to the 305 50-47. Last weekend also marked the first BIG3 broadcast appearance of Emmy-winning television host and reporter Rachel Nichols, who will return as a sideline reporter next weekend alongside NBA Insider Chris Haynes.
“BIG3 is the most compelling live sports property in the summer, period. These numbers reflect that,” said BIG3 President Jeff Kwatinetz. “Not only did we reach an incredible number of fans live, but we continue to attract the fans that every league is fighting for – the young, diverse, and engaged 18-49 demographic – both on linear and social, further demonstrating that the BIG3 brings its audience to platforms. We couldn't be happier to achieve this outstanding milestone alongside our longtime friends and partners at CBS. There's never been a better time to be a fan of the BIG3.”
This announcement follows a season of sustained double-digit growth across verticals, including linear broadcast, social and digital, and attendance and fan engagement. BIG3 social channels have seen triple-digit growth across key metrics such as views, followers, and engagement rate, garnering 735 million views so far season-to-date, up 402% year over year. This year, the league also launched the 3's and Ones podcast, hosted by Chris Haynes and Michael Beasley with guest commentator Ice Cube, which has exploded in popularity in less than three months.
Tickets for the 2025 Championship Game are still available at BIG3.com/tickets. To stay up to date with all things BIG3, visit BIG3.comand @thebig3 on X and Instagram.
ABOUT BIG3:On January 11, 2017, the BIG3 was born. The first-ever professional FIREBALL3 league is the brainchild of producer, actor, and music legend Ice Cube and entertainment executive Jeff Kwatinetz, who shared a vision of a player-centric league focused on entertainment and innovation. The BIG3 is a league with no garbage minutes, where trash talk is allowed, defense is emphasized, fast-paced action, and where every point -whether it's a 4-point or 3-point shot – counts. Any given BIG3 team has hall of famers, icons and trailblazers, and the next best 3-on-3 player.
The league has led the sports industry in diversity and opportunity, becoming the first professional sports league to implement a mental health policy, favor CBD as a pain management alternative to opioids, enlist female coaches of men, and appoint a black Commissioner in Hall of Famer Clyde Drexler, who is also professional sports first former player serving as Commissioner. The inaugural CEO was the legendary, incomparable Raider executive Amy Trask.This January 2024, BIG3 co-founder Ice Cube was honored at the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, where he received the inaugural Ice Cube Impact Award, acknowledging individuals making substantial contributions to their community, the first non-player to be recognized.Founders Ice Cube and Jeffrey Kwatinetz are missioned to better society as BIG3 pursues business success while also helping to break down stereotypes, promote diversity in sports, create opportunities for black, brown, and female athletes beyond the court, and support the black, youth, and basketball communities overall.
CONTACT:Hannah Palacios, BIG3 (hannah@big3.com)
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SOURCE BIG3
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