How excited are New York Knicks fans to watch their team potentially win its first NBA championship since 1973? Knicks fans have come out in a major way to support their team all season, and that has only gotten more intense during the 2026 NBA Finals.
Viewership is way up after the first two games of the Finals, with an average of 16.68 million viewers tuning in for Game 1 and Game 2, per Front Office Sports. That figure is up 89 percent compared to 2025 and represents the best NBA Finals ratings numbers in eight years.
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It shouldn’t necessarily come as a surprise that ratings are up in the NBA. The Knicks remain one of the league’s most popular teams. It certainly helps that they play in biggest city in the United States. Still, their fans are clearly passionate, and come out in droves to show their support for the franchise.
On the other side, the San Antonio Spurs are also drawing from a large pool of fans. San Antonio is the sixth-biggest city in the country and the Spurs have a history of success that has helped grow the fanbase over the years.
It helps that the team employs big man Victor Wembanyama, one of the league’s biggest stars. Because of Wembanyama’s presence, the Finals are probably drawing in casual NBA fans, ones who don’t get to see Wembanyama often and want to see what all the hype is about.
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The quality of the games likely also contributed to massive viewership numbers. The Knicks won Game 1 by 10 points, but it was an incredibly close game until the final quarter. Game 2 was a one-point win by the Knicks, making it an even more exciting contest for viewers.
Ratings for Game 3 — which should be released Wednesday — should be similarly high. The Knicks and Spurs competed in yet another close one in Game 3, with the Spurs finally picking up a win in the series.
With Game 4 slated for Wednesday, casual NBA fans — and executives over at ABC — are probably hoping the Spurs can pull even, ensuring more games in the series. Fans of the Knicks and Spurs may feel differently, however, as the first three games of the Finals have been stressful enough.
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