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[06/05/26 - 02:00 PM]
ABC's Most-Watched NBA Finals Game 1 Since 2018 with Average Audience of Nearly 17M Viewers (16.93M)
Game 1 peaked with nearly 20M viewers (19.63M) at 11 p.m. ET.
[via press release from ESPN]

ABC's most-watched NBA Finals Game 1 since 2018 with average audience of nearly 17M viewers (16.93M)

· Audience peaked with nearly 20M viewers (19.63M) at 11 p.m. ET

· Largest Game 1 audience on ABC ever excluding the Golden State Warriors vs. Cleveland

· Cavaliers NBA Finals matchups

Viewership up 90% from last year's Game 1

The New Yorks Knicks victory over the San Antonio Spurs on June 3 was ABC's most-watched NBA Finals Game 1 since 2018 - according to Nielsen Big Data + Panel. Game 1 generated an average audience of nearly 17M viewers (16.93M) and peaked with nearly 20M viewers (19.63M) at 11 p.m. ET.

The Knicks vs. Spurs series-opening game was the most-watched NBA Finals Game 1 ever on ABC excluding the Golden State Warriors vs. Cleveland Cavaliers matchups. Viewership was up 90% from last year's Game 1.

NBA Finals Game 1 on ABC was the most-watched program of the day across all of television and in all key male and adult demos for June 3. It was also the most-watched NBA Finals game since Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals.

ESPN's coverage of the 2026 NBA Finals on ABC continues tonight, June 5, with Game 2 at 8:30 p.m. For the full schedule, visit ESPNPressRoom.com. ESPN has produced the NBA Finals on ABC since 2003.

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