NBA Finals ratings have plummeted since 2019, and the league is banking on the Knicks to reverse the trend
The New York Knicks advancing to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999 is one of, if not the best, scenario for the NBA.
The league could use this.
Last year’s Finals between the Thunder and Pacers were on track to be the least-watched NBA Finals (outside of the 2020 COVID bubble season) until Game 7 bumped the average up a bit. Even then, it was the least watched Game 7 in Finals history.
More generally, the NBA Finals have recently become a smaller televised event than the World Series, Masters and NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship.
This wasn’t always the case.
NEW YORK KNICK Sweeps CAVALIERS AFTER RAID GAME 4 TO REACH THEIR FIRST NBA FINALS SINCE 1999
Knicks fans celebrate their team’s Eastern Conference championship win against the Cleveland Cavaliers on May 25, 2026 in New York City. (David Dee Delgado/Getty Images)
From 2015 to 2019, the NBA Finals averaged 18.66 million viewers. Since 2020, the average has fallen to just 10.45 million. The decline is particularly notable because the Finals during this stretch still featured traditionally well-rated nationally-rated franchises, including the Warriors, Lakers (during the COVID year) and Celtics.
The NBA is undoubtedly hoping the Knicks can help reverse that trend, regardless of whether they face the Thunder or Spurs, two teams that have historically not had particularly strong ratings in the Finals. In fact, the last time the Knicks reached the Finals they also faced the Spurs. The 1999 series had an average of 16.01 million viewers.
The problem then was that the series ended too quickly. San Antonio won in five games. The concern continues this year, too.
The Thunder against the Knicks in five games is currently seen as the most likely Finals outcome, according to DraftKings Sportsbook. The Knicks will be roughly +200+ underdogs against their Western Conference opponents, meaning they have about a 30 percent chance of winning the series outright.
Still, if the Knicks can steal an early game or two, national attention could skyrocket.
Singer Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce attend the NBA Eastern Conference Finals Game Three between the New York Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers at Rocket Arena on May 23, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
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Despite the usual resistance to big-market teams, the Knicks may emerge as the team of choice among neutral viewers. Oklahoma City plays an analytics-driven style that casual fans find frustrating, especially due to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s over-reliance on drawing fouls.
It’s really hard to enjoy watching the Thunder.
The dynamic may be different against Spurs, but could potentially be just as challenging. The Knicks’ bid to end their 53-year championship drought will naturally attract outside attention. Victor Wembanyama may be the player most likely to enter the league since LeBron James more than 20 years ago. Yet modern sports audiences are often slower than previous generations to embrace heavily marketed “new face of the league” narratives.
The fact that he is European also matters in terms of potential star power.
The Knicks defeated Cleveland in four games to reach the NBA Finals and awaken a sleeping basketball giant. ((Photo: Jason Miller/Getty Images))
Either way, the matchup will likely generate deep-rooted interest beyond the two local fan bases, which is exactly what the NBA needs.
However, comparing this year’s viewership numbers to previous Finals would be a bit misleading. As OutKick previously revealed, Nielsen replaced its measurement system with a model called Big Data + Panel in September. The adjustment increased estimated live sports viewers by nearly 10 percent.
This change, along with the league’s switch on television from TNT to NBC, is one of the reasons NBA playoff ratings look significantly stronger this season.
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Sorry fanboys. As reported, NBA playoff ratings are not actually the highest in the last 33 years.
These factors alone will help the NBA deliver the most-watched Finals of the 2020s. Still, it would help if the series was competitive.
