Ratings Roundup: Knicks-Spurs NBA Finals Is Most Watched Since Jordan Bulls Era; FIFA World Cup Opens Big

Ratings Roundup is a rundown of recent rating news and is derived from press releases and reports around the industry. In this week's edition, ABC and ESPN's coverage of the 2026 NBA Finals was the most-watched since 1998 as the New York Knicks capture their first title in 53 years; FOX Sports and Telemundo/Peacock kick off FIFA World Cup 2026 with record-shattering audiences across English- and Spanish-language platforms; ESPN's Stanley Cup Final closes as the most-viewed Cup Final since 2013 with the Carolina Hurricanes lifting the Cup; and the YES Network's Yankees viewership tracks toward its highest level since 2022.

The NBA Finals netted the top three spots this week. ABC's coverage of Game 5 between the Knicks and Spurs was the #1 most-watched live sports event of the week, delivering 24.54 million viewers on Saturday, June 13. ABC's coverage of Game 3 ranked #2 with 22.69 million viewers, and Game 4 came in at #3 with 20.94 million viewers.

The NHL Stanley Cup Final on ABC iced three spots in the Top 25 this week: Game 6 between the Hurricanes and Golden Knights at #12, Game 5 at #14, and Game 4 at #17.

FIFA World Cup 2026 placed 20 of the week's Top 25 live sports events, with 20.79 billion minutes viewed across all 24 telecasts on FOX, Telemundo, and FS1. USA vs. Paraguay ranked #4 on FOX and #15 on Telemundo. Brazil vs. Morocco landed at #5 on FOX and #9 on Telemundo. Netherlands vs. Japan came in at #6 on FOX and #18 on Telemundo. Mexico vs. South Africa took #7 on Telemundo and #8 on FOX. Germany vs. Curacao ranked #10 on FOX and #23 on Telemundo, while Haiti vs. Scotland placed #11 on FOX and #24 on Telemundo. Ivory Coast vs. Ecuador landed at #13 on Telemundo and #19 on FS1, and Qatar vs. Switzerland ranked #15 on FOX and #25 on Telemundo. Rounding out the list, Canada vs. Bosnia took #20 on FOX, Czech Republic vs. South Korea placed #21 on Telemundo, and Sweden vs. Tunisia came in at #22 on Telemundo.

NBA Finals: ABC and ESPN Deliver Most-Watched Series Since 1998 ABC and ESPN's coverage of the 2026 NBA Finals averaged 20.6 million viewers across five games - an ABC and ESPN NBA Finals audience record, up 100% from last year's seven-game series and the most-watched NBA Finals since 1998 - per Nielsen Big Data + Panel. The New York Knicks closed out the San Antonio Spurs at Madison Square Garden to capture their first NBA Championship in 53 years.

Saturday's June 13 Game 5 on ABC averaged 24.5 million viewers and peaked at 33 million during the closing moments of the Knicks' championship-clinching victory - the largest NBA Finals Game 5 audience since 1998. It was the most-watched program of the day across all of television and in every key male and adult demo. Wednesday's Game 4 on ABC averaged 20.9 million viewers and peaked at 23.2 million at 11:15 p.m. ET - the most-watched NBA Finals Game 4 since 1998, the most-watched Game 4 ever on ABC, and up 123% vs. last year's Game 4. Monday's Game 3 averaged 23.8 million viewers and peaked at 26.3 million at 11:15 p.m. ET - the largest NBA Finals Game 3 audience since 1998, the largest TV audience since Super Bowl LX in February, and up 159% YoY. Game 2 (Thursday, June 5) averaged 16.43 million viewers and peaked at 19.42 million at 11:15 p.m. ET, ABC's most-watched Game 2 since 2018 and up 88% YoY. Game 1 (Wednesday, June 3) averaged 16.93 million viewers and peaked at 19.63 million at 11 p.m. ET - ABC's most-watched Game 1 since 2018, the most-watched Game 1 on ABC ever excluding Golden State-Cleveland matchups, and up 90% YoY. NBA Finals All-Access with The Pat McAfee Show, ESPN's alternate Game 3 presentation, averaged 1.1 million viewers - the most-watched NBA alternate telecast ever on ESPN. ABC and ESPN's NBA live event coverage continues with the 2026 NBA Draft on Tuesday and Wednesday, June 23-24, from Barclays Center in Brooklyn at 7 p.m. ET each night.

FIFA World Cup 2026: Record-Setting Opening Weekend for FOX Through 16 telecasts (Monday, June 15), FIFA Men's World Cup 2026 is averaging 6,016,000 viewers to date across FOX & FS1, up 128% from the complete FIFA Men's World Cup 2022 Group Stage telecast average on FOX & FS1.

Day 1 averaged 5,344,000 viewers across FOX and FS1, up 103% vs. the 2022 Group Stage average on those networks.

The USMNT's June 12 opener against Paraguay averaged 18,037,000 viewers across FOX, FOX ONE, and Tubi - the most-watched FIFA Men's World Cup telecast in English-language U.S. history, up 132% from the USMNT's first 2022 Group Stage telecast on FOX (USMNT-Wales, 7,763,000 viewers on 11/21/22). The U.S.'s 4-1 win peaked at 21,526,000 viewers from 10:45-11 p.m. ET and was the most-streamed English-language USMNT match in FIFA World Cup history. Top local markets were Kansas City (9.18/29), Boston (8.56/28), San Diego (7.30/26), Dallas (7.29/26), and St. Louis (7.25/21).

Thursday's June 11 opening match between Mexico and South Africa averaged 7,186,000 viewers across FOX, FOX ONE, and Tubi - the most-watched FIFA Men's World Cup Opening Match in English-language U.S. history and, at the time, the most-watched non-USMNT Group Stage telecast in English-language U.S. history (up 150% from the 2022 opener on FS1). It peaked at 9,410,000 viewers from 4:45-5 p.m. ET. That non-USMNT record was eclipsed Saturday by Brazil-Morocco, which averaged 10,019,000 viewers on FOX, up 212% from the 2022 non-USMNT Group Stage telecast average on FOX (3,210,000) and peaking at 13,119,000 viewers from 7:45-8 p.m. ET. Sunday's Netherlands-Japan match averaged 8,838,000 viewers on FOX, now the No. 2 non-USMNT Group Stage telecast in English-language U.S. history.

Group Stage matches on FS1 also set records: Korea Republic-Czechia (Thursday) averaged 3,071,000 viewers, up 144% from the 2022 FI

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