ESPN Announces Impressive TV Viewership Numbers for NBA Finals

Millions of fans are tuning in to watch Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs face off against Jalen Brunson and the New York Knicks in the 2026 NBA Finals.

In fact, Game 2 of this year’s championship series delivered some viewership numbers that haven’t been seen in nearly a decade.

On Tuesday, ESPN announced that Game 2 averaged 16.43 million viewers - with a peak of 19.42 million. These figures represent an 88% increase from last year and make it the most-viewed NBA Finals Game 2 since 2018.

Game 2 of the 2018 NBA Finals featured a lot of star power, pitting LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers against Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson of the Golden State Warriors. The Warriors would go on to sweep the championship series 4-0.

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The Knicks took down the Spurs in Game 2 of the 2026 NBA Finals, notching a closely-contested 105-104 final score at San Antonio’s Frost Bank Center. This win extended New York’s postseason win streak to 13 games as the team took a 2-0 series lead heading back to Madison Square Garden.

The Spurs bounced back in Game 3, notching a 115-111 final score in front of an electric home crowd at MSG. Wembanyama led the way for San Antonio, scoring 32 points to go along with his eight rebounds, six assists and three blocks.

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Game 4 of the NBA Finals will tipoff at 8:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday.

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This story was originally published June 9, 2026 at 9:40 PM.