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The most dramatic comeback in NBA Finals history proved to be a winner with television viewers as well.
Disney-owned ABC said Friday that it averaged 20.9 million viewers for Wednesday’s Game 4 between the Spurs and Knicks, an instant classic that saw New York revive from a 29-point deficit to win and set an event record in the process.
That audience is up a massive 123% from the comparable game last year. It also extends an audience tear that has helped define this series and has given the NBA a resurgent energy after a difficult regular season that saw escalated concerns about tanking. Game 3 in particular on Monday averaged 23.8 million viewers, representing the most-watched NBA Finals Game since 2017.
Through four games, the NBA Finals is averaging 19.6 million viewers, up 116% from a year ago and the best such figure since 1998.
The Knicks now hold a 3–1 series lead and will be attempting to seal their first NBA title since 1973 during Game 5, set for Saturday in San Antonio.
Bigger Themes
The latest viewership figure extends what has been a stellar primetime run for ABC and Disney over the past two weeks. On a near-nightly basis, the broadcast network has alternated back and forth between the NBA Finals and the NHL’s Stanley Cup Final, drawing one historic audience after another in the process.
Tuesday’s Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final averaged 5.3 million viewers. That figure is up 104% from the comparable game last year on TNT Sports, and up by 74% from 2024’s Game 4, aired on ABC. Through four games, that series is averaging 5 million viewers, up 101% from a year ago and the best such figure since 2015.
The Hurricanes currently lead the Golden Knights 3–2 in that series, and will be seeking to clinch their first title since 2006 during Sunday’s Game 6. That contest will be happening at the same time as UFC Freedom 250 in Washington, D.C., with that event streamed exclusively on Paramount+.
ESPN, the sister Disney-controlled network to ABC, is aiding in the production of both the NBA Finals and Stanley Cup Final.
