Jun. 17 at 8:45 PM
The 2026 NBA Finals between the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs averaged 20.6 million viewers on ABC, making it the most-watched NBA Finals since Michael Jordan's last championship run with the Chicago Bulls in 1998. The audience more than doubled last year's Finals average of 10.27 million viewers, highlighting the enduring value of live sports for media companies.
The strong ratings come as broadcasters and streaming platforms increasingly compete for premium sports rights. Industry observers point to live sports as one of the few forms of content that consistently attracts large real-time audiences, making it a critical asset in the streaming era.
The trend was further underscored by Fox's recently announced
$22 billion agreement with Roku, reflecting the growing importance of combining sports programming with streaming distribution.
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