sports
Knicks Defeat Spurs to Win NBA Title, Game 5 Draws 24.5 Million Viewers
The New York Knicks defeated the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday to claim their first championship since 1973. Nielsen reported the telecast averaged 24.5 million viewers, the highest for a Game 5 since 1998.
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The New York Knicks defeated the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday night in Game 5 of the NBA Finals to win the league championship. It was the Knicks’ first title since 1973. 5 million viewers.
That figure marked the most-watched NBA Finals Game 5 since 1998, when Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls won their sixth title in eight years. The Knicks and Spurs series produced strong numbers throughout. 6 million viewers across ESPN and ABC, doubling last year’s seven-game average.
5 million viewers. This year’s Game 5 peaked at roughly 33 million viewers in the closing minutes of the fourth quarter as New York completed another comeback. The Nielsen count measures in-home viewing and does not fully capture street parties in New York.
Michael McCarthy wrote in Front Office Sports that the Knicks’ victory signals renewed interest in the league after years of negative coverage. 3 billion valuation and questions about television ratings compared with the NFL.
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