The return of the NBA on NBC and increased broadcast exposure has led to some big ratings numbers for the Association. And the epic Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals between the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder was no exception.
The game was an instant classic. Victor Wembanyama put up an otherworldly performance with 41 points and 24 rebounds, punctuated by a Steph Curry logo three to force double overtime. The Spurs emerged triumphant with a 122-115 victory to steal homecourt advantage in a series that every basketball fan hopes will go the distance.
As far as NBC is concerned, the game was a huge victory as well. Spurs-Thunder became the most-watched opening game of the Western Conference Finals in NBA history. The contest averaged 9.2 million viewers across NBC and Peacock on Monday night. It peaked with an impressive 12 million viewers during the final overtime period. The game fell just behind Game 7 of the Sixers-Celtics first round series, which drew 11 million viewers airing after the Kentucky Derby on NBC, as the most-watched game of the 2026 NBA Playoffs thus far.
For years, the conference finals were exclusive to cable on ESPN and TNT respectively. Now as part of the NBA’s new media deals, the Western Conference finals will be entirely on NBC. While the NBA raked in a huge amount of cash in the new media deals with Disney, Amazon, and NBC, the league is quickly finding that the investment in increased broadcast airtime is paying off handsomely in accessibility and exposure.
There’s also a bit of irony in the San Antonio Spurs and Victor Wembanyama being such a powerful television draw as we’ve seen throughout the postseason. During the team’s dynasty years with Tim Duncan, they were often ratings poison as a small-market team without a charismatic, marketable star. (No disrespect of course to Duncan’s Hall of Fame career). That’s very different now with Victor Wembanyama, who is rapidly turning into one of the must-see athletes in any sport.
About Matt Yoder