2026 NBA Playoffs
The 2026 NBA Playoffs deliver the most-watched 1st round in 33 years. Game 7 of 76ers-Celtics on May 2 is the most-watched 1st round Game 7 ever, averaging 11 million viewers on NBC/Peacock.
Official release — May 5, 2026, 9:00 PM
Chasing History: Eastern Conference Opening Round
Look back at a thrilling first round in the Eastern Conference with three Game 7s.
The 2026 NBA Playoffs delivered the most-watched first round in 33 years, averaging 4 million viewers per game across ABC/ESPN, Amazon Prime Video, and NBC/Peacock. The Philadelphia 76ers’ 109-100 Game 7 road win over the Boston Celtics on May 2 averaged 11 million viewers on NBC/Peacock, making it the most-watched first-round Game 7 ever and the most-watched first-round game in 27 years.
The record start to the NBA Playoffs follows a historic regular season in which 170 million people in the U.S. watched NBA games across ABC/ESPN, Amazon Prime Video, NBC/Peacock, and NBA TV — the most in 24 years and up 86% year-over-year.
Related: Playoffs viewership off to best start in 33 years
The NBA Playoffs are delivering an average of 3.91 million viewers per game across ABC, ESPN, NBC/Peacock, and Amazon Prime Video.
Play-In viewership increases 18% on Prime Video
The 2026 SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament averaged 2.79M U.S. viewers across 6 exclusive broadcast windows.
NBA's viewership, social stats soar in 2025-26
Dig into the stats the NBA generated across television, digital, social media, and other platforms in 2025-26.
Regular season delivers most viewers in 24 years
The 2025-26 NBA regular season generated 170 million viewers for games on ABC/ESPN, Amazon Prime Video, NBC/Peacock, and NBA TV.