NBA and NHL Finals See Decade-High Ratings for ABC

ABC has kicked off its championship broadcast schedule with significant momentum, as both the NBA and NHL Finals openers achieved their highest viewership numbers of the decade. Game 1 of the NBA Finals, featuring the New York Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs, drew an impressive 16.93 million viewers—a 90 percent increase over last year’s opener. Similarly, the Stanley Cup Finals opener between the Las Vegas Golden Knights and the Carolina Hurricanes reached 4.78 million viewers, marking a 54 percent rise from the previous year’s ABC broadcast.

The surge in viewership is largely attributed to high-profile matchups and star power. The presence of the New York Knicks, representing the nation's largest media market, provided a substantial boost for the NBA, while the San Antonio Spurs’ rising star Victor Wembanyama has proven to be a major draw throughout the postseason. For the NHL, the 4.78 million viewers represent the highest audience for a Stanley Cup opener since 2019, signaling a robust recovery and growth for hockey on the network.

While Nielsen’s recent methodological updates—which now incorporate more comprehensive out-of-home data—have contributed to higher reported figures for live sports, the scale of these gains suggests a genuine increase in fan engagement. These ratings reflect a broader trend of rising interest across both leagues throughout the 2026 playoffs. For broadcasters and advertisers, these figures reinforce the enduring value of live championship sports as one of the few remaining television events capable of capturing massive, simultaneous audiences in a fragmented media landscape.