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First reported by Variety
Knicks' 2026 NBA Finals Game 5 Draws 24.5 Million Viewers, Highest Since 1998

Knicks' first title in 53 years delivers ESPN/ABC its most-watched NBA Finals since 1998

By

Drew Lerner

1d ago· 3 min readenNews

Summary

The New York Knicks' first NBA championship in 53 years, clinched in Game 5 against the San Antonio Spurs, delivered record-breaking viewership for ESPN/ABC. The game averaged 24.5 million viewers, making it the most-watched NBA Finals game since 1998 (Michael Jordan's last title) and the most-watched NBA game since Game 7 of the 2016 Finals. The full series also achieved the highest viewership for an NBA Finals since 1998.

Key quotes

· 2 pulled
Saturday's title-clinching Game 5 between the Knicks and San Antonio Spurs averaged 24.5 million viewers on ABC, good for the most-watched NBA game since Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors (31.0 million viewers).
It was the most-watched Game 5 in an NBA Finals since Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls beating the Utah Jazz in 1998, and the full series was also the m
Snippet from the RSS feed
ESPN/ABC secured the most-watched NBA Finals since 1998 for the New York Knicks' win over the San Antonio Spurs.

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