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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Via AP news wire

Star power: Viewership for Game 1 of NBA Finals up 90% over last year's series opener

The top photos of the week by AP photojournalists - (Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

The star power of Victor Wembanyama and Jalen Brunson helped this year's NBA Finals get off to a huge start in terms of viewership, the likes of which hadn't been seen since the last finals matchup between LeBron James and Stephen Curry eight years ago.

Game 1 of the finals matchup between the San Antonio Spurs and New York Knicks averaged nearly 17 million viewers on Wednesday night, up 90% when compared to last season's finals Game 1. It was the most-watched Game 1 since 2018, the most recent time James — then of Cleveland — and Golden State's Curry faced off in the title round.

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