The New York Knicks' 94-90 win over the San Antonio Spurs in Game 5 of the NBA Finals averaged 24.5 million viewers on ABC and ESPN, making it the most-watched Finals Game 5 since 1998.
ESPN's scoreboard lists the game as a final at Frost Bank Center, with New York beating San Antonio 94-90 on June 14, 2026 UTC. ESPN News Services reported the audience figure from Nielsen, with The Associated Press contributing to the report.
NBA Finals Audience Peaked At 33 Million
The audience peaked at 33 million as Finals MVP Jalen Brunson closed out a 45-point performance. ESPN's report said the Knicks rallied from a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit to secure their first NBA championship in 53 years.
The full Finals averaged 20.6 million viewers, the highest since the 1998 Chicago Bulls-Utah Jazz series averaged 29.04 million across six games during Michael Jordan's sixth and final title run.
It was also the highest NBA Finals average since ABC and ESPN began carrying the series in 2003. Since 1999, only three Finals have reached a 20 million average: this Knicks-Spurs series, Golden State-Cleveland in 2017 at 20.47 million and Cleveland-Golden State in 2016 at 20.2 million.
Knicks Title Run More Than Doubled Last Year's Average
The 2025 Finals between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers averaged 10.31 million viewers across seven games, according to ESPN's report. The Knicks-Spurs number more than doubled that series average and gave the league a rare post-Jordan-era Finals audience above the 20 million mark.
The matchup also delivered a clear business marker after a postseason built around New York, Brunson and San Antonio's young core. The league's next cycle of offseason coverage now starts with a ratings result that is unusually strong by modern Finals standards.