Most-watched NBA telecasts of the 2020s
Nielsen average audience, one figure per telecast; a final or revised figure replaces a preliminary one. Composites, peaks, reach and self-reported figures do not chart.
1,108
eligible telecasts
updated 2026-10-30
Most-watched NBA telecasts of the 2020s
1
NBA Finals Game 5 - Knicks vs Spurs
24,540,000
2
NBA Finals Game 3 - Knicks vs Spurs
23,790,000
3
NBA Finals Game 4 - Knicks vs Spurs
20,940,000
4
NBA Finals Game 1 - Knicks vs Spurs
16,930,000
5
NBA Finals Game 7 - Pacers vs Thunder
16,610,000
6
NBA Finals Game 2 - Knicks vs Spurs
16,430,000
7
NBA Finals Game 7 - Pacers vs Thunder
16,350,000
8
San Antonio Spurs at Oklahoma City Thunder
15,900,000
9
NBA Finals Game 6 - Celtics vs Warriors
13,990,000
10
NBA Finals Game 5 - Heat vs Nuggets
13,080,000
11
Miami Heat at Denver Nuggets
13,080,000
12
NBA Finals Game 5 - Celtics vs Warriors
13,030,000
13
Boston Celtics at Golden State Warriors
13,030,000
14
NBA Finals Game 6 - Bucks vs Suns
12,780,000
15
Phoenix Suns at Milwaukee Bucks
12,520,000
16
NBA Finals Game 3 - Celtics vs Mavericks
12,430,000
17
Dallas Mavericks at Boston Celtics
12,311,000
18
NBA Finals Game 2 - Celtics vs Mavericks
12,310,000
19
NBA Finals Game 5 - Celtics vs Mavericks
12,220,000
20
NBA Finals Game 4 - Celtics vs Warriors
12,060,000
21
Eastern Conference Finals Game 7 - Celtics vs Heat
12,000,000
22
NBA Finals Game 2 - Celtics vs Warriors
11,910,000
23
Boston Celtics at Golden State Warriors
11,910,000
24
NBA Finals Game 2 - Heat vs Nuggets
11,910,000
25
Miami Heat at Denver Nuggets
11,910,000
26
NBA Finals Game 1 - Celtics vs Warriors
11,900,000
27
Boston Celtics at Golden State Warriors
11,900,000
28
NBA Thunder–Spurs
11,590,000
29
NBA Finals Game 1 - Heat vs Nuggets
11,580,000
30
Miami Heat at Denver Nuggets
11,580,000
31
NBA Finals Game 3 - Celtics vs Warriors
11,520,000
32
Golden State Warriors at Boston Celtics
11,520,000
33
NBA Finals Game 3 - Heat vs Nuggets
11,240,000
34
Denver Nuggets at Miami Heat
11,240,000
35
NBA Finals Game 1 - Celtics vs Mavericks
10,990,000
36
Philadelphia 76ers at Boston Celtics
10,990,000
37
NBA Finals Game 4 - Bucks vs Suns
10,460,000
38
NBA Finals Game 4 - Heat vs Nuggets
10,410,000
39
Phoenix Suns at Milwaukee Bucks
10,250,000
40
Eastern Conference Finals Game 7 - Celtics vs Heat
9,880,000
41
NBA Warriors–Kings
9,840,000
42
Milwaukee Bucks at Phoenix Suns
9,620,000
43
NBA Finals Game 4 - Celtics vs Mavericks
9,620,000
44
NBA Finals Game 2 - Bucks vs Suns
9,590,000
45
NBA Finals Game 5 - Bucks vs Suns
9,550,000
46
NBA Finals Game 5 - Pacers vs Thunder
9,540,000
47
Oklahoma City Thunder at Indiana Pacers
9,410,000
48
NBA Finals Game 4 - Pacers vs Thunder
9,400,000
49
Milwaukee Bucks at Phoenix Suns
9,380,000
50
NBA Finals Game 6 - Pacers vs Thunder
9,280,000
51
NBA Finals Game 3 - Bucks vs Suns
9,250,000
52
NBA Thunder–Spurs
9,200,000
53
NBA Finals Game 5 - Heat vs Lakers
9,190,000
54
NBA Finals Game 3 - Pacers vs Thunder
9,190,000
55
Oklahoma City Thunder at Indiana Pacers
9,190,000
56
Phoenix Suns at Milwaukee Bucks
9,020,000
57
NBA Finals Game 1 - Pacers vs Thunder
8,910,000
58
NBA Finals Game 2 - Pacers vs Thunder
8,760,000
59
Eastern Conference Finals Game 6 - Celtics vs Heat
8,711,000
60
NBA Finals Game 1 - Bucks vs Suns
8,700,000
61
NBA Finals Game 6 - Heat vs Lakers
8,590,000
62
Milwaukee Bucks at Phoenix Suns
8,560,000
63
NBA 76ers–Celtics
8,440,000
64
NBA Timberwolves–Nuggets
8,410,000
65
Western Conference Finals Game 3 - Lakers vs Nuggets
8,380,000
66
NBA Warriors–Lakers
8,350,000
67
Los Angeles Lakers at Miami Heat
8,290,000
68
Western Conference Finals Game 4 - Lakers vs Nuggets
8,209,000
69
Eastern Conference Finals Game 6 - Knicks vs Pacers
8,120,000
70
NBA Lakers–Warriors
7,910,000
71
San Antonio Spurs at Minnesota Timberwolves
7,900,000
72
Western Conference Finals Game 2 - Spurs vs Thunder
7,770,000
73
NBA Warriors–Grizzlies
7,714,000
74
NBA Finals Game 4 - Heat vs Lakers
7,700,000
75
NBA Finals Game 1 - Heat vs Lakers
7,690,000
76
Western Conference Finals Game 2 - Lakers vs Nuggets
7,660,000
77
NBA Lakers–Warriors
7,550,000
78
Los Angeles Lakers at Miami Heat
7,540,000
79
NBA Kings–Warriors
7,520,000
80
NBA Warriors–Lakers
7,520,000
81
Milwaukee Bucks at Boston Celtics
7,480,000
82
Western Conference Finals Game 3 - Mavericks vs Warriors
7,416,000
83
Miami Heat at Los Angeles Lakers
7,410,000
84
NBA Lakers–Warriors
7,360,000
85
Western Conference Finals Game 1 - Lakers vs Nuggets
7,360,000
86
NBA Lakers–Warriors
7,350,000
87
Los Angeles Lakers at Minnesota Timberwolves
7,350,000
88
NBA All-Star Game
7,300,000
89
Western Conference Finals Game 3 - Mavericks vs Timberwolves
7,250,000
90
Eastern Conference Finals Game 6 - Celtics vs Heat
7,188,000
91
New York Knicks at Indiana Pacers
7,100,000
92
Cleveland Cavaliers at New York Knicks
7,100,000
93
NBA Cavaliers–Knicks
7,100,000
94
Oklahoma City Thunder at San Antonio Spurs
7,030,000
95
Western Conference Finals Game 1 - Mavericks vs Timberwolves
7,020,000
96
Dallas Mavericks at Los Angeles Lakers
7,010,000
97
Detroit Pistons at Cleveland Cavaliers
7,010,000
98
Milwaukee Bucks at Brooklyn Nets
6,910,000
99
Brooklyn Nets at Boston Celtics
6,900,000
100
Western Conference Finals Game 4 - Mavericks vs Timberwolves
6,870,000
Top 100 of 1,108 eligible telecasts · computed 2026-10-30 23:06 UTC
Rows span 3 Nielsen eras (Before Out-of-Home, Panel + Out-of-Home, Big Data + Panel); figures from different eras are not directly comparable. Each row carries its era.