NBA Finals average US TV viewership 2026| ��ƽ��

Average TV viewership of NBA Finals games in the United States from 1993 to 2026 (in millions)

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Release date

June 2026

More information

Region

United States

Survey time period

1993 to 2026

Supplementary notes

* The U.S. broadcaster for the NBA Finals changed in 2002 from NBA to ABC.

Pre-2024 figures were taken from this article by . Meanwhile, data for 2024 and 2025 were taken from by Sportcal, and the 2026 figure was from Sports Media Watch report.

Nielsen changed its methodology in late 2025, which may be reflected in the dramatic increase in viewership in 2026.

Citation formats

The 2026 NBA Finals were watched by an average of **** million viewers in the United States. That year, the New York Knicks ended a 53-year wait for a championship win, beating the San Antonio Spurs 4-1 to clinch a third NBA championship title.

How did the 2026 Finals play out?

The 2026 championship series saw a young San Antonio team built around French superstar Victor Wembanyama take on a New York Knicks side filled with experience. While the Spurs held a lead for the majority of the series' playing time, it was the Knicks who kicked into gear in the decisive clutch moments. With the ball, Finals MVP Jalen Brunson picked apart the Spurs defence, and Karl-Anthony Towns was able for the most part to contain the 7'4" Wembanyama.

How did viewership of the NBA Finals compare to other major US sporting events?

In 2026, NBA Finals viewership was only a fraction of the number of viewers of the Super Bowl in the U.S., with the latter exceeding *** million that year. However, viewership of the World Series in 2025 was more comparable to that of the NBA Finals, averaging over 15 million viewers.