First round of NBA playoffs most watched since '93

Field Level Media|published: Tue 5th May, 18:23 2026

May 2, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) looks up after missing a foul shot against the Boston Celtics during the second quarter of game seven of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-Imagn Images

Game 7 of the Boston Celtics-Philadelphia Sixers series highlighted what was the most-watched first round of the NBA Playoffs since 1993, the league announced Tuesday.

With the help of a number of competitive opening-round series -- six of the eight went at least six games -- the first round averaged four million viewers per game across the league's various television partners.

The deciding seventh game of the Celtics-Sixers series, which Philadelphia won 109-100 to complete its comeback from down 3-1, was the most-watched first-round Game 7 in league history, averaging 11 million viewers on NBC/Peacock. That also made it the most-watched first-round playoff game in 27 years.

--Field Level Media

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