Wemby Effect in NBA Finals?

Afternoon Edition

June 3, 2026

Game 1 of the NBA Finals will tip off at 2:30 a.m. Thursday morning in France. French basketball fans have shown the time difference isn’t an issue when it comes to watching Victor Wembanyama. And with France adding a second broadcaster to show NBA games, the French Spurs star could spark a big ratings boost.

—Alex Schiffer

First Up

Game 1 of the NBA Finals will mark the on-court return of a 16-year absence for the league’s biggest prize, the Larry O’Brien trophy. Read the story.
Kings co-owner Vivek Ranadivé fired Mike Brown in 2024. His fingerprints are all over the Knicks-Spurs Finals. Read the story.
Aryna Sabalenka’s shocking loss at the French Open quarterfinals sets up tense semifinals matches with the Russia-Ukraine war under the spotlight. Read the story.
New York officials reversed course, deciding to grant a permit for Knicks watch parties directly outside of MSG for Game 1 of the NBA Finals. Read the story.

Will There Be a Wemby Effect for NBA Finals in France?

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SAN ANTONIO — It could be a long Thursday for the people of France.

Game 1 of the NBA Finals between the Knicks and Spurs will tip off Wednesday in the United States at 8:30 p.m. ET, pitting French center Victor Wembanyama against Jalen Brunson & Co.

But for the country to watch its favorite son in the Finals, its natives would have to be up at 2:30 a.m. to do so.

Japan has been a ratings boom for MLB due to Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani, with Game 7 of the World Series last year pulling in 9.7 million viewers in Japan. The Game 6 matchup between the Dodgers and Blue Jays averaged 13.1 million viewers on Japan’s broadcaster NHK-G, making it the most-watched World Series game in that country that was aired on a single network.

But the 16-hour time difference allows games to be watched in Japan’s morning hours. This NBA Finals might have a similar effect if France tunes in to watch San Antonio—even with a seven-hour time difference.

Wembanyama’s countrymen appear to be all in on his NBA Finals appearance. French daily news site 20minutes asked in a headline Wednesday: “Victor Wembanyama, an unprecedented talent in basketball history?”

The NBA France account tweeted early Wednesday: “The menu for your favorite time of the year. Rest up (or don’t). Brew the coffee (or don’t). The energy drinks (or don’t). But we’ll be expecting a big crowd starting at 2:30 AM.”

In San Antonio, multiple French media outlets are credentialed to cover the Finals for news organizations across the pond.

Wembanyama is not the first Frenchman to play in the Finals, but he is arguably the most important. Fellow France natives Tony Parker and Boris Diaw were part of the Spurs dynasty along with Tim Duncan, but neither had the star power or global reach Wembanyama has.

Coincidentally, Diaw will be part of Amazon Prime Video’s French coverage of the Finals. The streamer has already incorporated coverage of the Western Conference finals and Finals with the French Open because of Wembanyama and the Spurs’ run.

La dernière fois que les @Spurs étaient en Finales NBA ? 2014…

Ils sont de retour avec @Wemby 👽🤍

RDV cette nuit sur Prime Video et le League Pass ! pic.twitter.com/wPrf7bE0Ba
— NBA France (@NBAFRANCE) June 3, 2026

Historically, France has had only one broadcaster of NBA games in the country in beIN SPORTS. This season it added another, with Prime Video airing games in the country for the first time. The game will also be available on LeaguePass. The Spurs are LeaguePass’s most-watched team in France with a 79% year-over-year increase in viewership, according to the NBA.

The country has a record 19 players in the NBA this season—but none bigger than Wembanyama, both physically and commercially, with the 7-foot-4 center standing above them all.

The NBA’s ratings in the country have been on the rise, especially since Wembanyama entered the league in 2023. And France has proved the time change isn’t a deterrent from watching him play.

Game 7 of the Western Conference finals between the Spurs and Thunder was the most-viewed game in the country this season on Prime Video, according to the NBA, despite tipping off at 1 a.m. local time.

In France, Prime Video will broadcast the games in real time, while beIN SPORTS will air them around midday local time on a tape delay, giving fans two opportunities to watch the games.

The Spurs Christmas Day matchup against the Thunder this season also drew historically well. The game tipped off at 8:30 p.m. in France on beIN SPORTS and is the league’s most-viewed Christmas Day game in the country.

Beyond the Track

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ONE BIG FIG

NHL Having a ‘Moment’

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$8 billion

That’s the amount of revenue the NHL expects to approach in the 2025–26 season, up from roughly $6.5 billion a year earlier. “Every platform, every source of revenue is growing,” commissioner Gary Bettman said. “It’s going to be even better next year because the new media deal in Canada kicks in.”

The league is coming off a season of record attendance and growing TV audiences, trends that have strengthened its business outlook. Bettman said the NHL is “experiencing a particular moment in time” as fan engagement continues to rise. Read the story.

LOUD AND CLEAR

Nothing Left

Jun 3, 2026; Paris, France; Aryna Sabalenka during her match against Diana Shnaider on day 11 at Stade Roland Garros.

Susan Mullane-Imagn Images

“No thoughts, no emotion.”

—That was Aryna Sabalenka’s raw assessment of her mindset after a surprising loss to No. 25 Diana Shnaider at the French Open on Wednesday. The world’s No. 1 player said she was struggling to process the defeat and admitted she wanted to “quit tennis right now.”

Sabalenka added, “We’ll see in a few days. Hopefully I can get back on track mentally,” during an extremely candid post-match interview at Roland-Garros. After upsetting Sabalenka, Shnaider advances to her first Grand Slam semifinal, where she’ll take on Poland’s Maja Chwalińska on Thursday. Read more French Open coverage on FOS.

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STATUS REPORT

Two Up, One Down, One Push

Jan 18, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) throws a pass during warmups before an NFC Divisional Round game against the Los Angeles Rams at Soldier Field.

David Banks-Imagn Images

Caleb Williams ⬆ The Bears quarterback will grace the cover of Madden 27, becoming the first player in Chicago’s history to do so. Williams joins a line of current NFL quarterbacks, including Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, and Josh Allen, to be the poster man of EA’s football video game. Last season, Williams led the Bears to an 11–6 record and the NFC divisional round of the playoffs, his team’s first postseason run since 2020.

Mallard Creek boys’ track ⬆⬇ The North Carolina high school team was named class 8A co-state champion after initially being disqualified from the 4×400-meter relay that initially clinched its sole possession of the title. Mallard Creek was disqualified because its relay anchor, Nyan Brown, was called for unsportsmanlike conduct after holding five fingers up to signify a fifth state title. The school’s principal, Jared Thompson, said it was “grateful for the [revised] decision.”

Charles Leclerc ⬆ Ferrari announced Wednesday that the Monégasque driver renewed his contract with the team for “the coming seasons.” The announcement came just days before the Monaco Grand Prix, a race Leclerc last won in 2024. He has been with Ferrari since joining its driving academy in 2016, graduating to the Formula One seat in 2019. Ferrari currently ranks second in the team standings with 147 points, trailing only Mercedes at the top with 219 points.

Breel Embolo ⬇ The 29-year-old Swiss striker was barred from entering the U.S. for the World Cup on Tuesday after his ESTA travel authorization was placed under further review. This will be Embolo’s third World Cup representing Switzerland, where he has scored 24 goals in 86 international appearances. His ESTA had been approved until Tuesday morning, just hours before the team was due to fly from Zurich to Los Angeles.