San Antonio. – The start of the 2026 NBA Finals between the San Antonio Spurs and the New York Knicks has generated a massive impact on television audiences in the United States, driven by the appeal of emerging stars like Victor Wembanyama and Jalen Brunson.
The first game of the series, held on Wednesday night, averaged nearly 17 million viewers, a figure that represents a 90% increase compared to Game 1 of the 2025 Finals, according to data released by the ABC and ESPN networks.
The audience reached its peak during the final quarter of the match, when around 19.63 million people were following the events of the Knicks’ 105-95 victory over San Antonio.
The clash also marked the most-watched Finals opening game since 2018, the season in which LeBron James and Stephen Curry starred in the historic rivalry between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Golden State Warriors.
According to audience reports, the matchup also became the most-watched Finals Game 1 in ABC history and the most-viewed NBA championship game since Game 6 of the 2019 Finals between the Toronto Raptors and the Golden State Warriors.
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The media phenomenon generated by the series even surpassed the television records of 15 of the last 16 World Series of baseball, including the first game of the 2024 classic between the Yankees and Dodgers, which averaged 15.2 million viewers.
The presence of the French phenomenon Victor Wembanyama, considered one of the new global faces of the NBA, along with the leadership of Jalen Brunson with the Knicks, has sparked renewed interest in the league and projects a Finals with enormous sporting and commercial impact.
