Record audience for the NBA Finals on ABC and ESPN, up 100 percent from last year
ABC and ESPN scored the most-watched NBA Finals since 1998, according to Nielsen Big Data + Panel. Saturday’s NBA Finals Game 5 on ABC delivered an average audience of 24.5M viewers and peaked with 33M viewers watching the closing moments of the New York Knicks Championship victory. It was the most-watched NBA Finals Game 5 since 1998 as well.
Overall, the 2026 NBA Finals averaged 20.6M viewers across five games, setting an ABC and ESPN audience record. The Championship series was up 100 percent from last year’s seven-game NBA Finals.
Once again, the NBA Finals on ABC generated the largest viewing audience of the day across all of television and in every key male and adult demo.
ESPN and ABC’s live event coverage of the NBA continues with exclusive presentations of the 2026 NBA Draft. The two-night event emanates from Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. on Tuesday, June 23 and Wednesday, June 24 with coverage beginning at 7 p.m. ET both evenings.
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ESPN media contacts: ben.cafardo@espn.com; ronce.rajan@espn.com.