NBA Announces Historic Viewership Numbers for 76ers-Celtics Game 7

The No. 7 seed Philadelphia 76ers took down the No. 2 seed Boston Celtics in a Game 7 contest at the TD Garden on Saturday.

Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey combined for more than 60 points to secure a 109-100 win on the road, completing their comeback from a 3-1 series deficit.

This closeout game drew some ridiculous TV viewership numbers, according to an announcement from the NBA on Tuesday. With an average of 11 million viewers over the course of the game, it was the most-watched Game 7 of all time and the most-watched first-round playoff game in nearly three decades.

“Game 7 of the 76ers/Celtics series on May 2 averaged 11 million viewers on NBC/Peacock – the most-watched first-round Game 7 ever and the most-watched first-round game in 27 years,” the NBA wrote on social media.

“The first round of the NBA Playoffs was the most-viewed in 33 years, averaging 4 million viewers per game across ABC/ESPN, Amazon Prime Video and NBC/Peacock.”

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With their first-round series win over the Celtics, the 76ers advanced to a second-round matchup against the No. 3 seed New York Knicks.

This clash of large-market franchises with fervent fanbases will now doubt draw similarly impressive TV viewership numbers.

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The Knicks took care of business against the 76ers in Game 1 at Madison Square Garden, dominating the visiting Philadelphia squad with a wire-to-wire 137-98 victory to open up the series.

Game 2 will tipoff at 7 p.m. ET on Wednesday.

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This story was originally published May 5, 2026 at 6:13 PM.