The 2026 NBA Finals Deliver Record Ratings for ABC and ESPN
As the first NBA season under Disney’s new media rights deal with the league, ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro had to keep a close eye on the ratings.
Thankfully, the NBA delivered, averaging 1.78 million viewers across its nationally televised games, a 16% increase year over year.
Photo: ESPN
Then came the NBA Finals.
A Banner Year for the NBA and ESPN
As we have written about extensively, the 2026 NBA Finals were important for Disney as the company continues to invest heavily in the league.
Photo: ESPN
With the New York Knicks facing off against Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs, the recipe for a ratings bonanza was there.
The only question was: Could ESPN and the NBA deliver?
The Answer Was Yes
As we previously reported, Disney’s first NBA Finals under its new media agreement delivered sparkling results.
Game 3 of the series between the New York Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs averaged a record 23.78 million viewers, the highest total since the 1998 NBA Finals between Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls and Karl Malone’s Utah Jazz.
Photo: NBA
Subsequently, Game 4 of the 2026 NBA Finals once again delivered record ratings, averaging 20.9 million viewers.
A Record-Setting Series
While both the NBA and ESPN would have preferred a longer series, the 2026 NBA Finals concluded with a bang.
Photo: NBA
Game 5 averaged 24.5 million viewers, making it the highest-rated Finals game since 1998.
The game peaked at 33 million viewers as the series came to a close.
Photo: ESPN
Overall, the 2026 NBA Finals averaged 20.6 million viewers across five games, setting an ABC and ESPN audience record.
The championship series was also up 100% versus 2025.
Photo: ESPN
By continuing to invest in live sports, Disney has made a major bet on ESPN and America’s biggest professional leagues.
So far, that gamble has paid off.
Photo: MickeyBlog
