Spurs-Knicks Game – Monday night’s Spurs 115–111 win over the Knicks in Game 3 pulled in nearly 24 million viewers on ABC and ESPN, setting record marks for NBA Finals Game 3 broadcasts in decades—while also ranking as the biggest broadcast-TV program since Super Bowl 60.
The night the Spurs answered New York on the biggest stage, television numbers answered back.
Monday night’s Game 3 of the NBA Finals between the San Antonio Spurs and the New York Knicks was watched by almost 24 million people. making it the highest-rated NBA Finals Game 3 of the century. ABC and ESPN put the audience at 23.8 million viewers—also the largest mark for an NBA Finals Game 3 in 28 years.
For context. the last time the third game of the Finals drew more viewers came in 1998. when Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls were closing in on their second three-peat. This year’s version peaked at 26.3 million viewers at 11:15 p.m. ET, following San Antonio’s 115-111 win that cut the Knicks’ series lead to two games to one.
The surge didn’t stay confined to sports.
Game 3 was the most-watched program on broadcast television since Super Bowl 60. when 125.6 million viewers watched the Seattle Seahawks defeat the New England Patriots. The all-time benchmark for the NBA Finals still belongs to Game 6 of the 1998 Finals. when Michael Jordan hit a game-winning jumper with 5.2 seconds left to give the Bulls an 87–86 victory over the Utah Jazz for their sixth championship; that NBC broadcast was seen by 35.89 million viewers.
What stands out in the numbers is how quickly a single game can shift the viewing landscape—Game 3’s near-24 million audience now sits atop the NBA Finals Game 3 leaderboard for this century. while the Knicks’ title chase and San Antonio’s late-series push played out in front of a broader broadcast audience than many major events that come around only once a year.
As the series heads into the next stretch, the matchups are being fought on the court—but Monday’s ratings make clear that the stakes extend well beyond the arena, into the way mainstream viewers follow the NBA when the Finals are truly at its peak.
NBA Finals Spurs Knicks Game 3 ABC ESPN TV ratings broadcast television Super Bowl 60 viewership