{"id":763748,"date":"2026-06-18T00:18:21","date_gmt":"2026-06-18T00:18:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/763748\/"},"modified":"2026-06-18T00:18:21","modified_gmt":"2026-06-18T00:18:21","slug":"san-antonio-spurs-vs-new-york-knicks-most-watched-nba-finals-since-1998","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/763748\/","title":{"rendered":"San Antonio Spurs vs. New York Knicks most watched NBA Finals since 1998"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img data-perfmatters-preload=\"\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"780\" height=\"510\" data-attachment-id=\"410729\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.sacurrent.com\/news\/san-antonio-news\/san-antonio-spurs-get-cold-new-york-welcome-ahead-of-game-3-at-madison-square-garden\/attachment\/screenshot-176\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sacurrent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Screenshot-2026-06-08-at-11.28.17-AM.jpg?fit=1150%2C751&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1150,751\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;Screenshot&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Screenshot&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"DylanHarper\" data-image-description=\"&lt;p&gt;San Antonio Spurs guard Dylan Harper dunks during game 2 of the NBA Finals against the New York Knicks.&lt;\/p&gt;&#10;\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;San Antonio Spurs guard Dylan Harper dunks during game 2 of the NBA Finals against the New York Knicks.&lt;\/p&gt;&#10;\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sacurrent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Screenshot-2026-06-08-at-11.28.17-AM.jpg?fit=780%2C510&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Screenshot-2026-06-08-at-11.28.17-AM.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-410729\"  \/>San Antonio Spurs guard Dylan Harper dunks during game 2 of the NBA Finals against the New York Knicks. Credit: Instagram \/ @Spurs<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The five-game series pitting the San Antonio Spurs against the New York Knicks was the most-watched NBA Finals since 1998, suggesting renewed interest in the league after years of declining viewership.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The 2026 NBA Finals averaged 20.6 million viewers, surpassing the 2017 Warriors-Cavaliers Finals and marking the highest Finals average since the 1998 Bulls-Jazz series, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sportsmediawatch.com\/2026\/06\/knicks-spurs-most-watched-nba-finals-1998-among-top-ten-on-record\/\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/www.sportsmediawatch.com\/2026\/06\/knicks-spurs-most-watched-nba-finals-1998-among-top-ten-on-record\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">according to online publication Sports Media Watch<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Game 5 alone drew 24.54 million viewers, making it the most-watched NBA game since the 2016 Cavaliers-Warriors Game 7. The series also doubled last year\u2019s Thunder-Pacers Finals audience, which averaged 10.27 million viewers, the publication reported, citing Nielsen ratings.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Game 5\u2019s strong viewership comes despite being moved from a traditional Sunday slot to a lower-viewership time on Saturday to avoid competing with the FIFA World Cup. The Finals also posted a 38.3 audience share, up 78% from last year and surpassing the long-standing 33.1 record set in 1993. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Fueled by celebrated teams and competitive storylines, the surge underscores a broader resurgence in NBA viewership as the league heads into next season with renewed momentum and increased fan interest across broadcast platforms. <\/p>\n<p class=\"has-normal-font-size wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sacurrent.com\/sanantonio\/NewsletterSignup\/Page\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Sign Up for SA Current newsletters.<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"has-normal-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">Follow us:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/apple.news\/TiFMu3wPkRj6PC4xS5L36bg\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Apple News<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqKAgKIiJDQklTRXdnTWFnOEtEWE5oWTNWeWNtVnVkQzVqYjIwb0FBUAE?hl=en-US&amp;gl=US&amp;ceid=US%3Aen\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Google News<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.newsbreak.com\/@c\/1599768?s=01\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">NewsBreak<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/SanAntonio_Current\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Reddit<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/instagram.com\/sacurrent\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Instagram<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sacurrent\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Facebook\u00a0<\/a>| <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/SAcurrent\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Twitter<\/a>\u00a0| Or sign up for our\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sacurrent.com\/feed\/?partner-feed=all\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">RSS Feed<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Related Stories<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sacurrent.com\/arts\/sports-and-recreation\/peta-proposes-changing-spurs-team-name-to-animal-friendly-alternative-the-san-antonio-spores\/\" rel=\"bookmark nofollow noopener\" tabindex=\"-1\" aria-hidden=\"true\" target=\"_blank\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Spoits.jpg\" class=\"attachment-newspack-article-block-landscape-medium size-newspack-article-block-landscape-medium wp-post-image\" alt=\"PETA proposes changing Spurs\u2019 team name to \u2018animal-friendly\u2019 alternative: the San Antonio Spores\" data-hero-candidate=\"1\"   data-attachment-id=\"394559\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.sacurrent.com\/arts\/sports-and-recreation\/san-antonio-spurs-look-to-bolster-3-point-shooting-as-they-face-orlando-magic\/attachment\/spoits\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sacurrent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Spoits.jpg?fit=1000%2C694&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1000,694\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Spoits\" data-image-description=\"&lt;p&gt;Stephon Castle takes the ball up the court. &lt;\/p&gt;&#10;\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Stephon Castle takes the ball up the court. &lt;\/p&gt;&#10;\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sacurrent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Spoits.jpg?fit=780%2C541&amp;ssl=1\"\/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\n\t\t\t\t\tThough the animal rights group admitted its request is a tall order, it even mocked up a jersey redesign.\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sacurrent.com\/news\/online-talk-of-a-deaaron-fox-trade-already-circulating-after-lackluster-role-in-spurs-return-to-finals\/\" rel=\"bookmark nofollow noopener\" tabindex=\"-1\" aria-hidden=\"true\" target=\"_blank\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/fox.webp\" class=\"attachment-newspack-article-block-landscape-medium size-newspack-article-block-landscape-medium wp-post-image\" alt=\"Online talk of a De\u2019Aaron Fox trade already circulating after lackluster role in Spurs\u2019 return to Finals\" data-hero-candidate=\"1\"   data-attachment-id=\"25091\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.sacurrent.com\/arts\/spurs-point-guard-deaaron-fox-says-san-antonio-was-only-team-he-wanted-to-be-traded-to-36928961\/attachment\/fox\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sacurrent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/fox.webp?fit=1000%2C701&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1000,701\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"fox\" data-image-description=\"&lt;p&gt;De\u2019Aaron Fox poses in a Spurs uniform in his team publicity shot.&lt;\/p&gt;&#10;\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;De\u2019Aaron Fox poses in a Spurs uniform in his team publicity shot.&lt;\/p&gt;&#10;\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sacurrent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/fox.webp?fit=780%2C547&amp;ssl=1\"\/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\n\t\t\t\t\tPossible destinations for Fox include Chicago and Brooklyn \u2014\u00a0if the speculation can be believed. \t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sacurrent.com\/arts\/sports-and-recreation\/spurs-lack-of-clutch-time-experience-sunk-teams-quest-for-a-championship\/\" rel=\"bookmark nofollow noopener\" tabindex=\"-1\" aria-hidden=\"true\" target=\"_blank\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Spurzzz.jpg\" class=\"attachment-newspack-article-block-landscape-medium size-newspack-article-block-landscape-medium wp-post-image\" alt=\"Spurs\u2019 lack of clutch-time experience sunk team\u2019s quest for a championship\" data-hero-candidate=\"1\"   data-attachment-id=\"411447\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.sacurrent.com\/arts\/sports-and-recreation\/spurs-lack-of-clutch-time-experience-sunk-teams-quest-for-a-championship\/attachment\/spurzzz-2\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sacurrent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Spurzzz.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1000,666\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Spurs\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;\u201cThis is the biggest lesson of my life,\u201d Spurs star Victor Wembanyama said. \u201cAs a team, there\u2019s no better experience than what we just lived.\u201d&lt;\/p&gt;&#10;\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sacurrent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Spurzzz.jpg?fit=780%2C519&amp;ssl=1\"\/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\n\t\t\t\t\tDespite the setback, the future looks bright for a young San Antonio team determined to learn from its mistakes.\n\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"San Antonio Spurs guard Dylan Harper dunks during game 2 of the NBA Finals against the New York&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":763749,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3797],"tags":[7,6,191,969,474,4075,4074,83,534,18753],"class_list":["post-763748","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-san-antonio-spurs","tag-basketball","tag-nba","tag-new-york-knicks","tag-san-antonio","tag-san-antonio-spurs","tag-sanantonio","tag-sanantoniospurs","tag-sports-news","tag-spurs","tag-the-finals"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nba\/116768244274434505","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/763748","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=763748"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/763748\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/763749"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=763748"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=763748"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=763748"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}