2026 NBA Finals: Knicks-Spurs most-watched Finals since Michael Jordan capped 'Last Dance' with Bulls in 1998
Yahoo Sports • • sports
Key Points:
- Jalen Brunson solidified his status as one of the greatest small guards in NBA history by leading the New York Knicks to their first league championship, ending a long championship drought for the franchise.
- The Knicks completed a remarkable season highlighted by a 13-game playoff winning streak, including victories over San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama, in a five-game NBA Finals series.
- The 2026 NBA Finals became the most-watched since Michael Jordan’s 1998 "Last Dance" Bulls championship, averaging 20.6 million viewers—a 100% increase from the previous year’s Finals.
- The series set new audience records for ABC and ESPN, aided by Nielsen’s updated viewership measurement methods that include smart TV data and out-of-home viewing.
- Game 3, the Spurs’ only win in the series, drew 23.8 million viewers at Madison Square Garden, marking the highest NBA Finals Game 3 viewership since 1998 and featured the historic attendance of sitting President Donald Trump.
