Knicks' Game 5 victory set an NBA ratings record dating back to the 1990s
Nielsen said the telecast peaked at 33 million viewers as the Knicks rallied to clinch their first title since 1973.
- The New York Knicks captured their first NBA Championship since 1973 on Saturday night, with Nielsen ratings showing the clinching Game 5 telecast averaged 24.5 million viewers, the most-watched NBA Finals game since 1998.
- NBA Finals viewership had trended downward in recent years; last year's Game 5 between the Indiana Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder averaged 9.5 million viewers, setting the stage for this year's resurgence.
- Across five games, the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs finals averaged approximately 20.6 million viewers according to ESPN, with the audience peaking at 33 million viewers during the final minutes of the championship-clinching rally.
- Celebrities including Taylor Swift, Whoopi Goldberg, and Sydney Sweeney witnessed the Knicks overcome a nearly 30-point deficit to defeat the San Antonio Spurs 107 to 106 in a dramatic comeback.
- Writing for Front Office Sports, Michael McCarthy observed the victory represents a resurgence for the $14.3 billion league, challenging years of prevailing negative media narratives about the NBA.
41 Articles
41 Articles
Knicks-Spurs scores NBA Finals’ highest ratings in 28 years
With an average of 20.6 million views, per Nielsen, this month's NBA Finals between the New York Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs was the most-watched finals since 1998.The Knicks' 94-90 title-clinching Game 5 victory on Saturday night drew an average of 24.5 million viewers on ESPN and ABC, the most in a Game 5 of the finals since 1998. That 1998 series, with Michael Jordan and the Bulls winning their sixth championship by ousting the Utah Jazz…
Jackson Progress-Argus
Clayton NewsKnicks-Spurs scores NBA Finals' highest ratings in 28 years
With an average of 20.6 million views, per Nielsen, this month's NBA Finals between the New York Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs was the most-watched finals since 1998.
Knicks’ Historic Title Run Scores Best NBA Finals Audience Since 1998
The New York Knicks’ historic NBA championship run drove some of the biggest television audiences the league Finals has seen in decades. Saturday’s Game 5 averaged 24.5M viewers across ABC and ESPN, per Nielsen Big Data + Panel, marking the most-watched NBA Finals game since 1998, when Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls won their […]
Knicks’ thrilling NBA Finals was most-watched in nearly 30 years
The Knicks-Spurs series was the most-watched NBA Finals since 1998 — the last gasp of the Michael Jordan Bulls dynasty — by averaging 20.6 million viewers across the five games, ESPN said in a statement on Tuesday.
The Toronto Star
The Hamilton SpectatorKnicks’ NBA title-clinching victory over Spurs averages 24.5 million viewers
NEW YORK (AP) — Jalen Brunson and the New York Knicks' 94-90 victory over the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday night to capture their first NBA title in 53 years
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