As expected, the climactic Game 7 finale in the epic Western Conference Finals series between the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs was a massive ratings winner for NBC.
The Spurs emerged triumphant over the Thunder by a 111-103 final score in a contest that wasn’t decided until the final minute. It marked the full arrival of Victor Wembanyama as the next global superstar in the NBA as the league’s next best chance at a dynasty dethroned the defending champions.
Ratings were already impressive throughout the series for NBC, continuing a strong regular season and postseason in their return to broadcasting games from the Association. But for Game 7, they went to the next level.
According to an NBC announcement, Spurs-Thunder Game 7 drew 15.9 million viewers, good enough for the most-watched NBA conference finals game since 2016. The game peaked at an incredible 22.2 million viewers as the contest came to a conclusion. 12.7 million viewers turned in on NBC while an additional 3.2 million watched on Peacock.
— NBC Sports PR (@NBCSportsPR) June 2, 2026
Ironically, the last conference finals game that drew that large of an audience also involved the Oklahoma City Thunder. That was 16 million viewers all the way back in 2016 when Kevin Durant and company lost to the Golden State Warriors in Game 7.
NBC says it’s their most watched Saturday primetime program outside the Olympics since a 2023 NFL playoff game between the San Diego Chargers and Jacksonville Jaguars.
The Spurs-Thunder series averaged a total of 10.8 million viewers, making it the most watched Western Conference Finals series since 2002 during the heyday of Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant’s Los Angeles Lakers when they outlasted the Sacramento Kings in their famous (or infamous) series.
The game also wrapped up the NBA on NBC for the 2025-2026 season in their first year with NBA rights since 2002. NBC averaged 7.2 million viewers for their 28 postseason games, up a whopping 72% in comparison to last year’s schedule. Regular season games were up 16% for the network.
The NBA has faced questions from skeptics and critics throughout the season on their overall health, ratings, and the true value of their television deals. But with the extra games on broadcast television, new stars being born, and strong numbers throughout the playoffs, the league is riding high.
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