As it turns out, big markets in sports do draw big audiences. New York is America’s No. 1 media market, and the Knicks are the basketball pride and joy of the city. (Sorry, Nets.)So people have come to their television screens by the tens of millions to watch Jalen Brunson lead the Knicks in the franchise’s first NBA Finals appearance since 1999, with a chance to win its first championship since 1973.ESPN released the viewership numbers from Wednesday’s Game 1, and its average of 16.93 million viewers on ABC made it the most-watched NBA Finals Game 1 since 2018. A peak audience of 19.63 million tuned in to watch Brunson lead a 105-95 victory over the San Antonio Spurs in San Antonio. It represented a 90 percent year-over-year increase from Game 1 between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers last season.
This past Wednesday's matchup between the @spurs & the @nyknicks was the most-watched #NBAFinals Game 1 since ‘18
— ESPN PR (@ESPNPR) June 5, 2026The higher viewership numbers have been driven by widespread interest in the Knicks’ Finals run. The Big Apple attracts big attention. Ticket prices for Game 3 in New York soared past $4,500 for the cheapest nosebleed seats as of Monday before Game 1. Knicks celebrity supporters such as Fat Joe, Spike Lee and Ben Stiller have traveled to Cleveland during the Eastern Conference finals and San Antonio for the NBA Finals, making their presence known.
