Game 5 most-watched since 1998; peaked at 33M
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- New York Knicks defeated the San Antonio Spurs 94-90 on Saturday to capture their first NBA title in 53 years, with the Game 5 broadcast averaging 24.5 million viewers on ABC and ESPN — the most-watched Finals game since 1998.
- Jalen Brunson was named Finals MVP after erupting for 45 points as the Knicks erased a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit, with the audience peaking at 33 million during his closing run.
- The six-game NBA Finals series averaged 20.6 million viewers according to Nielsen, the highest since the 1998 Chicago–Utah series (29.04 million average) and the best mark since ABC and ESPN began jointly carrying the Finals in 2003.
- Only three Finals since 1999 have averaged at least 20 million viewers: this year's series, the 2016 Cavaliers–Warriors (20.2 million), and the 2017 Warriors–Cavaliers (20.47 million).
- Last year's Oklahoma City–Indiana Finals averaged just 10.31 million across seven games, meaning this year's audience nearly doubled year-over-year — a dramatic swing driven by the Knicks' first title run in over five decades.
Why it matters: The Finals nearly doubled last year's viewership (10.31M → 20.6M average), demonstrating that a New York market comeback story can deliver the league's best ratings in 27 years. That kind of audience recovery strengthens the NBA's hand in upcoming broadcast rights negotiations, where ABC and ESPN have carried the Finals since 2003.