India, June 17 -- The 2026 NBA Finals ended with the New York Knicks winning their first NBA title in 53 years, but the action on the court was only part of the story. Millions of people tuned in across the United States to watch the championship series, making it the most-watched NBA Finals since 1998.

According to Nielsen Big Data + Panel figures released by the NBA, the five-game series between the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs averaged 20.6 million viewers across ABC and ESPN, capping off the league's biggest postseason audience in nearly three decades.

The Knicks-Spurs matchup brought basketball fans to their screens in numbers not seen for years. The NBA said the 2026 Finals averaged 20.6 million viewers on ABC and ESPN, m...