The New York Knicks have punched their ticket to the Eastern Conference finals for the second season in a row after last playing in the ECF in 2000, producing a windfall for Madison Square Garden Sports, which owns the club and the NHL’s Rangers.
The Knicks have already played five playoff home games, which generated nearly $50 million in gross revenue before the NBA took its cut from ticket receipts. The team is likely in line for at least five more home games, as the heavy favorite versus whoever emerges in the other East series between the Detroit Pistons and Cleveland Cavaliers, which the Cavaliers lead 3-2. That would goose revenue to $140 million, assuming two home games in the NBA Finals.
The bean counters’ dream scenario of a seven-game series versus the Cavs—the Pistons would have home court versus the Knicks—and an NBA Finals of at least six games would drive gross revenue near $180 million.
The Knicks generated $115 million from the playoffs last year, according to Seaport Research Partners analyst David Joyce, who covers the publicly traded MSGS. He estimates the Knicks earned $8 million per home game during the first round of the 2026 playoffs from tickets, suites, concessions and merchandise. It jumped to $12 million per game in the second round when the Knicks swept the Philadelphia 76ers.
Joyce figures the conference finals are worth roughly $17 million per home contest. He has not drilled down to what games in the NBA Finals are worth, but it almost certainly will hit at least $20 million per game.
For comparison, the NHL’s Edmonton Oilers generated more than $120 million in playoff revenue from 12 games during their 2024 Stanley Cup Final appearance and set an NHL record last year with ticket revenue of $15 million per home game during the Cup rematch against the Florida Panthers.
A spokesperson for the Knicks declined to comment on the club’s playoff revenue.
The NBA delivers the biggest financial rewards for its individual teams that make the playoffs. The league traditionally kept 45% of home ticket revenue in the playoffs versus 6% in the regular season. In 2016, the league reduced its playoff cut to 25%, providing a significant boost in the opportunity for postseason profits. Ticket demand in the playoffs is also extremely elevated, which allows clubs to boost prices.
Joyce figures the Knicks’ profit margin on playoff revenue is 55% after the NBA’s cut and other expenses.
The Knicks and Los Angeles Lakers both generate about $4 million per game in ticket revenue during the regular season, with the clubs looking up at the Golden State Warriors, who earn more than $5 million per game.
The Knicks are the only team left in the playoffs who rank in the NBA’s top 10 for gate revenue. Players should be rooting for as many Knicks home games as possible, as it will boost basketball-related income, which is the metric used to determine how much of the escrow flows to owners and players to comply with the revenue split in the collective bargaining agreement.
The Knicks were valued at $9.85 billion in Sportico’s 2025 NBA team valuations, while the Rangers were at $3.65 billion on the NHL list. The $13.5 billion combined value is 48% higher than the current enterprise value of MSGS.
MSGS shares haven’t gotten full credit for the Knicks’ playoff run, which has broken numerous records for point differential. The stock is up about 5% over the past month, entering Thursday, versus an 8% gain for the S&P 500. Although, it did close Wednesday at an all-time high.