The first four games of the 2026 NBA Finals between the New York Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs are drawing record ratings for ABC, boosted by ESPN’s broadcast coverage. Both outlets report that the matchup is the most watched NBA Finals since 1998, based on overall audience performance across the early stretch of the series. The coverage is attributed to the network’s and ESPN’s presentation of the games on ABC, which includes standard Finals programming and reporting accompanying the series. While the sources focus on viewership trends rather than game-by-game details, they align on the central point: early games in the Finals are reaching an audience level not seen for this stage of the league’s championship match in decades. No additional figures, demographic breakdowns, or comparisons to the most recent Finals beyond the 1998 benchmark are provided in the excerpts.