The Game 1 ratings bonanza

Remember when you watched that historic comeback by the Knicks in Game 1 against the Cavs on ESPN?

Well, you weren't alone.In fact, you were part of the most-watched NBA Eastern Conference Finals Game 1 since 2018, according to Nielsen Big Data + Panel.

Tuesday night's overtime victory by the Knicks drew an average audience of 7.1 million viewers and peaked with 8.87 million viewers at 10:45 p.m. Eastern.

That's a 33% increase from ESPN's Western Conference Finals Game 1 last season (Thunder vs. Timberwolves), and a 9% boost from last season’s ECF Game 1 between the Knicks and Pacers. 

By Mark La Monica

mark.lamonica@newsday.comLaMonicaMark

Mark La Monica is a deputy sports editor at Newsday. He also covers mixed martial arts.