The NBA closed out its 2026 first-round playoff slate with a major ratings surge, highlighted by a historic audience for the decisive Game 7 between the Philadelphia 76ers and the Boston Celtics.
Airing immediately after the record-breaking Kentucky Derby, Saturday night’s showdown averaged 10.99 million viewers on NBC, combining Nielsen (9.24M) and Adobe Analytics (1.8M). This marks the most-watched first-round NBA playoff game since 1999, narrowly trailing the Jazz-Kings Game 5 (11.2M).
The matchup, featuring stars like Joel Embiid and Jayson Tatum, also became the most-watched NBA game ever to follow a Triple Crown broadcast on NBC. Viewership peaked at 12.6 million, reflecting strong momentum from the Derby lead-in.
Strong Growth Across the Board
The Sixers’ Game 7 win saw a 161% increase compared to last year’s equivalent Game 7 between the Clippers and Nuggets, which aired without a major lead-in. Meanwhile, another Game 7 between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Toronto Raptors averaged 7.0 million viewers, making it the second most-watched game of this year’s playoffs so far.
NBC’s overall first-round coverage performed exceptionally well, averaging 5.5 million viewers across 15 games, a 61% increase year-over-year. The network also benefited from a historic shift, airing 15 first-round games, contributing to a record 20 broadcast windows shared with ABC — the highest ever for an opening round.
Mixed Results for ESPN/ABC and Streaming Platforms
While NBC thrived, ESPN/ABC saw a 15% decline, averaging 3.8 million viewers, largely due to fewer high-profile matchups. Still, ABC’s Magic-Pistons Game 7 drew a solid 5.7 million, outperforming comparable recent broadcasts.
Streaming also played a growing role. Amazon Prime Video recorded its most-watched NBA game ever, with 4.45 million viewers for the Los Angeles Lakers’ Game 6 win over the Houston Rockets. Across its 13 games, Prime averaged 2.58 million viewers, up 11% on comparable windows.
Historic Milestone for the League
Overall, the first round averaged 4.0 million viewers across all platforms, a 22% increase from last year and the highest opening-round average since 1993.
Notably, this season marked the first time all first-round games were nationally exclusive, eliminating local broadcast overlaps and likely contributing to stronger consolidated audiences.
Bottom Line
Driven by marquee matchups, improved scheduling, and strategic broadcast placement — particularly the powerful Kentucky Derby lead-in — the NBA has reasserted the first round of its playoffs as a major television draw, setting the tone for what could be one of the league’s most-watched postseasons in decades.