The postseason push that landed the Knicks in the NBA Finals is expected to generate at least $145 million in revenue.
That figure, from Seaport Research Partners analyst David Joyce, could have been even higher; the Knicks’ sweeps of the 76ers and Cavaliers eliminated potential home games at Madison Square Garden and the revenue that would have come with them. Joyce wrote in a May 26 research note that New York’s early-series sweeps “took away” about $29 million in potential revenue for Madison Square Garden Sports Corp., the parent entity that owns the Knicks and Rangers.
Each Finals game—there could be a max of three in New York—is expected to produce around $20.3 million in revenue, according to Joyce, a number he wrote was “likely conservative.”
Merchandise, concessions, and sponsorships contribute to the total, but Joyce tells Front Office Sports that tickets are “by far” the biggest driver of revenue.
The Knicks wouldn’t get all the ticket revenue—NBA teams keep 75% of ticket revenue, with the rest routed to the league, which uses it to cover postseason expenses. Even after accounting for the league’s 25% cut, the playoffs remain an enormous financial boon for MSG Sports.
For context, a typical Knicks regular-season home game likely generates in the high-single-digit millions of dollars in total revenue—that figure is based on Joyce’s estimate of roughly $209 million in Knicks regular-season ticket revenue in fiscal 2026, which would equate to about $5 million per home game in ticket revenue alone.
And it’s more than just an immediate revenue boost; New York’s deep playoff push will have lasting effects. Anytime the Knicks make the playoffs, “they raise the next season’s ticket prices,” Joyce tells FOS. “Also, the run to the Finals will lift merchandise into next year and beyond, and likely sponsorship and suite rental fees as well.”
Joyce isn’t alone in projecting a nine-figure windfall. A May 8 research note from JPMorgan projected revenue of about $12 million per home playoff date, or $120 million total if all three potential Finals games in New York are played.
Corporate Spin Move
The moneymaking mania comes as MSG Sports is mulling a spin-off that would separate the Knicks and Rangers into two independent, publicly traded companies. Activist investment firm Boyar Value Group, a shareholder in MSG Sports, was ahead of the game there. Last June, the firm pushed for a spin-off, saying billions of dollars were being left on the table by keeping the NBA and NHL teams together as part of one company. Eight months later, in February, MSG Sports announced it was exploring a spin-off.
If a spin-off does occur, Boyar Value Group president Jonathan Boyar believes a sale of the Knicks is on the table. At the very least, he could see James Dolan selling a significant minority stake.
“The stars are aligning for some sort of transaction,” Boyar tells FOS. “This playoff run has shown what the team is worth. People aren’t shelling out $5,000, $10,000, or $50,000 for seats in other cities. That demonstrates to anyone who might want to buy the team just how valuable it is.”
Boyar is convinced the Knicks’ overall value will get a significant boost due to their success this season, and that the value increase will be even greater if they win the championship. MSG Sports has had a strong year in the market, with its stock price up about 47% year-to-date as of Wednesday’s close.
Not everyone is so certain about the correlation between winning and franchise valuation. Sal Galatioto, president of investment bank Galatioto Sports Partners, tells FOS he thinks any impact on the value of the team is “minor.”
“It’s the Knicks,” he says. “They’re already one of the most valuable brands in the league. It’s nice to have a playoff run, don’t get me wrong. But if I were a buyer, would I pay significantly more money because the team made a playoff run this year? No, I’m not going to get the benefit of that. The current owner gets the benefit of that.”
Longtime Knicks executive Dave Checketts, who was team president the last time they were in the Finals in 1999, recently shared a similar sentiment.
“There’s a scarcity in sports that drives value,” he told FOS during an episode of Portfolio Players. “There’s only one New York Knicks, and they happen to play in the middle of Manhattan. And so almost regardless of their record, they’re going to retain a lot of value, and the Garden, now for many years, has been selling out.”
