The New York Knicks are delivering on the court and at the television ratings window.
According to ESPN and Nielsen Big Data + Panel, the Knicks’ 105-95 victory over the San Antonio Spurs in Game 1 of the 2026 NBA Finals averaged 16.93 million viewers on ABC, making it the most-watched NBA Finals Game 1 since 2018.
The audience peaked at 19.63 million viewers at 11 p.m. ET as Jalen Brunson and the Knicks completed a fourth-quarter comeback to steal home-court advantage in the championship series.
The ratings milestone marks another historic achievement for a franchise that has captivated basketball fans throughout its deepest playoff run in nearly three decades.
Knicks Continue to Fuel Massive NBA Ratings Surge
The Game 1 audience represented a 90% increase from last year’s NBA Finals opener and became the most-watched program across all of television on June 3.
Even more impressively, ESPN reported that Knicks-Spurs became the most-watched NBA Finals Game 1 ever on ABC outside of the Golden State Warriors-Cleveland Cavaliers Finals matchups that dominated the league’s television landscape from 2015 to 2018.
The game also became the most-watched NBA Finals contest overall since Game 6 of the 2019 Finals.
For a league that has long viewed a successful Knicks team as a ratings goldmine, the numbers validated years of anticipation.
The audience surge comes as New York continues one of the most dominant postseason runs in league history.
The Knicks have won 12 consecutive playoff games, tying the 1998-99 Spurs for the second-longest winning streak in a single postseason. Only the 2016-17 Golden State Warriors, who won 15 straight playoff games, have posted a longer streak.
Championship-Starved Fan Base Driving Finals Fever
The ratings boom extends far beyond television.
Throughout the playoffs, Knicks fans have traveled in massive numbers, routinely filling opposing arenas and creating home-like environments in Detroit, Boston, Philadelphia, Cleveland and San Antonio.
The passion surrounding the franchise has reached a level not seen since New York’s last Finals appearance in 1999.
That demand is expected to explode even further when the series shifts to Madison Square Garden.
According to Gametime, the get-in price for Game 3 has climbed above $9,000, surpassing recent Super Bowl ticket prices and making it one of the most expensive NBA Finals games ever.
Game 3 will mark the first NBA Finals game at Madison Square Garden in 27 years, creating unprecedented demand among a fan base still searching for its first championship since 1973.
The combination of New York’s historic basketball culture, decades of pent-up anticipation and the emergence of Brunson as a franchise superstar has transformed the Knicks into one of the league’s biggest attractions.
Jalen Brunson Continues to Deliver on Biggest Stage
GettyJalen Brunson attacks the De’Aaron Fox during the New York Knicks’ 105-95 comeback win over the San Antonio Spurs in Game 1 of the 2026 NBA Finals in San Antonio.
Brunson once again provided the spark in Game 1.
The All-NBA guard finished with a game-high 30 points despite briefly exiting after a first-quarter knee scare and later appearing to tweak his ankle in the second quarter.
He returned both times and dominated when the game mattered most.
Brunson scored 13 points on 5-for-9 shooting in the fourth quarter without committing a turnover, helping New York erase a 14-point deficit.
His 30-point performance also marked the most points scored by a Knicks player in Game 1 of the NBA Finals since Willis Reed dropped 37 points in the 1970 Finals.
Karl-Anthony Towns added 18 points and 12 rebounds, while OG Anunoby chipped in 17 points as New York closed the game on an 11-0 run.
NBA Finals Could Reach Even Greater Heights
The Knicks have become one of the NBA’s biggest stories, and the ratings suggest fans across the country are paying attention.
With Victor Wembanyama, Brunson and two passionate fan bases driving interest, the Finals are already generating television audiences not seen in years.
Game 2 is scheduled for Friday night in San Antonio before the series heads to New York for what promises to be one of the most anticipated nights in Madison Square Garden history.
If Game 1 is any indication, the audience may only continue to grow.
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