Jalen Brunson, Knicks vs. Wemby, Spurs NBA Finals Game 1 Viewership Revealed

Jalen Brunson and the New York Knicks' 105-95 win over Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs in Game 1 of the 2026 NBA Finals drew a large audience.

ESPN announced Friday that the contest averaged 16.93 million viewers and peaked at 19.63 million viewers, becoming the most-watched Game 1 of the NBA Finals since 2018.

The viewership also represented a 90 percent increase compared to the series-opening clash of the 2025 NBA Finals.

New York's victory over San Antonio was much closer than the final score indicates, as the Spurs led 95-94 with under two minutes left in the fourth quarter.

The Knicks ultimately won due to multiple clutch buckets from Brunson, who scored 30 points despite shooting 12-of-31 from the field. He also recorded three rebounds and two assists.

As for Wembanyama, he finished with 26 points and 12 rebounds to go along with three blocks. He shot just 6-of-21 on field goals and 2-of-9 on triples, though.

The Spurs will now look to tie the series in Game 2 on Friday night. Tip-off is at 8:30 p.m. ET.