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San Antonio easily led all local markets for the NBA Finals on ABC/ESPN with a 25.9 local rating across five games. N.Y. was No. 2 with a 17.5 local rating for the games. That’s well above what the N.Y. market delivered for the five-game World Series with the Yankees and Dodgers in 2024 on Fox (12.2 local rating). Rounding out the top markets for the NBA Finals were Austin, Oklahoma City and Richmond-Petersburg, Va.
The Texas Rangers Sports Network is trying to acquire the local broadcast rights to the various NBA teams that exited Main Street Sports Group, through a mostly direct-to-distributor model that somewhat mirrors Fubo’s failed attempt to do the same.
Surprised to be solicited by an MLB franchise, some of the NBA teams have passed -- such as the Thunder, who, according to industry insiders, control their own local ad inventory and aren’t interested in a revenue share. But sources said potentially the Spurs and others are still weighing the Rangers’ blueprint that projects to pay teams approximately $15M or more annually and also includes a flexible direct-to-consumer streaming product.
The network is also promising some NBA teams it would televise a portion of their games -- perhaps as many as 15 -- on local over-the-air linear channels. According to one NBA franchise that wanted an OTA option adjacent to direct-to-distributor, the Rangers’ sales pitch emphasized increased audience reach through free broadcasts and included OTA. But sources said not every team sees OTA broadcasts as a must and that the Rangers network also doesn’t necessarily consider it mandatory. In other words, the OTA priorities vary team by team, those sources said, although the Rangers would not go into details.
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It’s the morning after the Knicks made history, ending a 53‑year drought, and you get the idea to frame a newspaper showcasing their win. Welp, others had the same idea. Printed copies of the team’s NBA championship headline are now nearly impossible to find. Newspapers themselves are already becoming historic artifacts, with circulation down by 20 million since the 1940s, according to Pew Research data.
Resellers are cashing in now, and fans who want to frame the front page still can, if they’re willing to spend 25 times the original price. What would usually cost $2 for a newspaper is now selling for more than $50 online because of the champs’ front‑page headline, with some sellers listing framed versions for over $120. The last time they had a championship front page was in 1973, when newspapers still costed 10 cents for a single-copy newsstand regular edition.
When it’s 1:30a, you’re tired and punchy, and still have hours of work left, but you just podded with Derek Zoolander … well, you gotta sign off with Blue Steel.
— Howard Beck (@howardbeck.bsky.social) 2026-06-15T00:29:04.837Z
Josh Giddey: "I think the the toughest part is the media. Like you see it everywhere and when you're not playing well, especially, you can't escape it. No, you can't escape it and players are are lying to you when they say that they don't see it and they don't, like everyone's, we all see it. We all talk about it on flights and in hotels and locker rooms, like we all read everything on Twitter that people are saying and Instagram and it's such a, it can be such a cruel world because you know, like everything's going great and it's, I'm not going to say cruel because some of it's warranted, like some players, they get paid a lot of money to perform and when you don't, that's what comes with it."
The Knicks and Spurs have been must-listen as much as must-watch this NBA Finals, according to new data from Spotify. NBA Finals-related podcast listening on Spotify surged more than 350% over the past week, while streams of Finals-related episodes were up more than 450% over the same period. The morning after Game 3 — Tuesday, June 9 — was the single biggest day for sports podcast listening on the platform this year, up roughly 500% from typical levels.
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At one point, Timothee Chalamet appeared to grab a reporter’s microphone and keep hold of it while dancing near a group of Knicks cheerleaders, with the chaotic postgame scene turning into something close to a mosh pit. The Hollywood star was also seen celebrating with girlfriend Kylie Jenner, other courtside celebrities and Knicks players after one of the wildest NBA Finals finishes ever. Another video shows Chalamet ripping off his jean jacket and t-shirt to go tarps off as the celebration continued.
Stacey King blew up the formula. He rewired the brains of an entire city. And he did it purely by being himself. An irresistible, infectious and undeniable force of energy, passion and basketball poetry. He was my broadcast partner for eight years and felt like a friend for much, much longer. He passed away Sunday at 59, a number frustratingly insuffucient for how big his life seemed and wholly inaccurate compared to his vitality.
One night later, Stacey ripped his suit pants from the thigh to the ankle while boarding the bus to the arena. He gently chided our producer for wanting to use gaffer tape to fix a very expensive outfit. But he kept his infectious smile as our producer stapled his pants shut. When we sat down at our broadcast position, he pointed across the floor at a then-19-year-old Victor Wembanyama and said, “Just watch. That dude is about to change the league.” Then, in the very next moment, as if it were the most natural occurrence, he introduced me to Magic Johnson. He and I shook hands, and Stacey adjusted his fixed pants and smiled, as if to say “Congrats, you both just met a cool person.”
Fred Katz: I swear to all of you, someone just asked Jalen Brunson what was most important to him: Winning MVP, winning a championship or world peace?