Knicks, Pacers Game 1 matchup hits highest viewership for eastern conference finals opener in years

5 hours ago 1

A well-anticipated series exceeded the hype after the Pacers stormed back to win Game 1 at Madison Square Garden.

With a big comeback and an entertaining game comes the output of a high viewership count.

MORE: Charles Barkley sends message to lift punishment on Tyrese Haliburton's dad

How many people watched Game 1?

Wednesday night, 6.6 million people tuned in to watch Pacers vs. Knicks.

This was the highest mark for the opening game of an Eastern Conference Finals since Game 1 in the 2018 ECF when LeBron James and the Cavaliers took on the Celtics.

MORE: Tyrese Haliburton trolls Karl-Anthony Towns in hilarious moment at end of overtime

After seeing the Timberwolves/Thunder Game 1 viewership down compared to Timberwolves-Mavericks last year, it was encouraging to see fans still tuning in to a thrilling Pacers/Knicks series.

It might be hard to match the cinematic ending of Game 1, but fans are bound to tune in for Game 2 and the rest of the series.

Having a New York team playing is always big for helping ratings, as the New York market is huge.

MORE: Aaron Nesmith's 4th quarter puts him as sole player to achieve historic playoff feat

Read Entire Article