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2026 NBA Finals was most watched since 1998, Game 5 peaked at 33 million viewers
Posted on 6/16/26 at 6:12 pm
Posted on 6/16/26 at 6:12 pm
LINK
Saturday’s deciding fifth game averaged 24.5 million viewers on ABC and ESPN, the third game in a row to draw more than 20 million.
The last time the finals drew 20 million-plus viewers over three consecutive contests was in 2016, for the final three games of the Cleveland Cavaliers’ comeback victory over the Golden State Warriors.
The telecast was also the most watched game five since the 1998 NBA Finals, which marked Michael Jordan’s last championship with the Chicago Bulls.
Saturday’s deciding fifth game averaged 24.5 million viewers on ABC and ESPN, the third game in a row to draw more than 20 million.
The last time the finals drew 20 million-plus viewers over three consecutive contests was in 2016, for the final three games of the Cleveland Cavaliers’ comeback victory over the Golden State Warriors.
The telecast was also the most watched game five since the 1998 NBA Finals, which marked Michael Jordan’s last championship with the Chicago Bulls.
Loading Twitter/X Embed...
If tweet fails to load, click here.This post was edited on 6/16/26 at 8:20 pm
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Posted on 6/16/26 at 6:15 pm to RelicBatches86
The team who hasn't won in 50 years from the biggest city in the country is a good recipe for maximizing eyeballs.
Posted on 6/16/26 at 6:49 pm to facher08
I wonder if the interest/celebration will be similar when the Yankees finally win the World Series again in 2060.
Posted on 6/16/26 at 6:54 pm to RelicBatches86
Pretty good numbers for an unwatchable product.
Posted on 6/16/26 at 7:08 pm to RelicBatches86
And thi$ i$ why Wimpy wa$n’t $u$pended or given flagrant$ he earned
Posted on 6/16/26 at 7:09 pm to RelicBatches86
Not surprising.
Good to see that the NBA will crack the top 100 most viewed television programs in the country this year.
Good to see that the NBA will crack the top 100 most viewed television programs in the country this year.
Posted on 6/16/26 at 8:45 pm to Stonehog
quote:
Pretty good numbers for an unwatchable product.
pretty sad with the hundreds of millions more eye balls on the nba than they had in 1998 and still can't reach those numbers. NBA is truly the worst pro sports out there now a unwatchable product. Terrible basketball all around.
Posted on 6/16/26 at 8:48 pm to EH Taylor
quote:
pretty sad with the hundreds of millions more eye balls on the nba than they had in 1998 and still can't reach those numbers
It’s the same for everything on TV save for the NFL. It’s always funny to see the spin from people who seem to have zero understanding of TV viewership data and trends.
This post was edited on 6/16/26 at 8:49 pm
Posted on 6/16/26 at 10:38 pm to OU Guy
quote:
And thi$ i$ why Wimpy wa$n’t $u$pended or given flagrant$ he earned
Posted on 6/17/26 at 2:46 am to EH Taylor
quote:
pretty sad with the hundreds of millions more eye balls on the nba than they had in 1998 and still can't reach those numbers. NBA is truly the worst pro sports out there now a unwatchable product. Terrible basketball all around.
Bro
they just had the most entertaining finals in nearly 30 years. Hilariously, they shot less FTs on average in these Finals than they did in the 98 Finals.
Lazy takes that show you truly didn’t just witness some of the best basketball we’ve seen in forever. If you didn’t find every NYk/SAS game entertaining, you never were a basketball fan.
Posted on 6/17/26 at 8:49 am to OU Guy
quote:
And thi$ i$ why Wimpy wa$n’t $u$pended or given flagrant$ he earned
WDS.
Posted on 6/17/26 at 9:56 am to RelicBatches86
Posted on 6/17/26 at 12:42 pm to ShamelessPel
quote:
Hilariously, they shot less FTs on average in these Finals than they did in the 98 Finals.
brunson was shooting 15 free throws in the 4th.
Every game the spurs lost they had double digit leads in the 3rd and 4th. 90% of the game sucked. It was watching the spurs play terrible basketball and knicks trying to make a comeback with the spurs sucking.
Say's the bandwagon pels fan who started watching the nba in 2013. No one cares about the nba anymore. It's such a terrible product.
Posted on 6/17/26 at 12:47 pm to EH Taylor
quote:until
No one cares about the nba anymore.
The Knicks won
Posted on 6/17/26 at 1:22 pm to ShamelessPel
quote:
Bro they just had the most entertaining finals in nearly 30 years.
Not even close to the Cleveland 1-3 deficit crawled back from to beat Golden State in 2016. Peak sport seeing a legend win one for a cursed city against enormous odds.
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