The 2026 NBA Finals between the victorious New York Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs was the most watched series this century.

The most-watched NBA postseason since 1998 averaged more than 20m viewers across broadcasters ABC and ESPN. 

And the crucial fifth game, which saw the Madison Square Garden Sports-owned New York Knicks win their first NBA championship in over 50 years, averaged nearly 25m viewers and peaked at 33m, while in the 24 hours after the title clinching buzzer the Knicks set an all-time Fanatics merchandise record.

Dolan, the chair of Madison Square Garden Sports, said he has no intention of selling the team outright but the NBA franchise could become the first publicly traded team in the sport in 24 years under proposals being considered by the owners.

The New York Stock Exchange-traded organisation currently holds both the Knicks and the NHL’s New York Rangers but could divide them into two separate listed companies.

“We are exploring the opportunity to further create value for our shareholders by separating our two professional sports franchises into distinct companies,” Dolan said in February.

Knicks nick it

The San Antonio Spurs is owned by Spurs Sports & Entertainment with former HoltCat chief Peter John Holt acting as chairman and chief executive.

The Knicks have been valued at just shy of $10bn, while the Spurs are valued at less than half that. But between them they delivered 15bn views on social media across the five-match series – which took place between 3 and 13 June.

The fourth game, at Madison Square Garden, saw the Knicks come from 29 points down to win 107-106 in a match that was seen as pivotal to the New Yorkers’ series victory. 

The NBA victory for the New York Knicks represented the eighth consecutive season with a different championship winner, stretching back to 2018.