Will the New York Knicks bring home their first title since 1973? Will the San Antonio Spurs’ young core of stars cement their place at the top of the league?
The 2026 NBA Finals are here, and they promise to be one for the record books. For sports bars, restaurants and other businesses with TVs, it’s a great opportunity to score some additional business. And DIRECTV FOR BUSINESS® can give you an assist so your customers can watch every second of the final.
Ready for DIRECTV FOR BUSINESS to give your business a home-court advantage for the 2026 NBA Finals? Check out our packages today.
When Do the 2026 NBA Finals Start?
DIRECTV FOR BUSINESS is your ticket to every second of Finals action, from the opening tip to the lifting of the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy. The 2026 NBA Finals get started in San Antonio on Wednesday, June 3, 2026, at 8:30 p.m. ET.
Here’s the full Finals schedule, with all games airing on ABC (find your local network):
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Game 1: Wednesday, June 3, 2026, at 8:30 p.m. ET
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Game 2: Friday, June 5, 2026, at 8:30 p.m. ET
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Game 3: Monday, June 8, 2026, at 8:30 p.m. ET
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Game 4: Wednesday, June 10, 2026, at 8:30 p.m. ET
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Game 5: Saturday, June 13, 2026, at 8:30 p.m. ET*
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Game 6: Tuesday, June 16, 2026, at 8:30 p.m. ET*
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Game 7: Friday, June 19, 2026, at 8:30 p.m. ET*
*If necessary
For the most up-to-date NBA Finals TV schedule, check out the DIRECTV programming guide.
Why Show the NBA Finals in Your Sports Bar or Restaurant?
How big will the NBA Finals be? If the league’s viewership statistics over the last year plus are any sign, they’re going to draw huge numbers.
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75 million people in the U.S. watched the 2025 NBA Finals between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers, a 16% increase from the 2024 Finals.
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Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals averaged 16.6 million viewers, making it the most-watched Finals game in six years.
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The NBA’s 2025-26 regular season saw a 24-year high in viewership, with 170 million people in the U.S. watching games across ABC/ESPN, Amazon Prime Video, NBC/Peacock and NBA TV.
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Through the Conference Semifinals, the 2026 NBA playoffs have averaged 4.5 million viewers per game across ABC, ESPN, NBC/Peacock and Amazon Prime Video. That’s the highest viewership through the Conference Semifinals in 29 years.
Then there are the storylines surrounding the teams competing in this year’s Finals.
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The spotlight is back on Madison Square Garden, with the New York Knicks playing in their first Finals since 1999 (which was coincidentally also against the San Antonio Spurs) and seeking their first title since the early ‘70s. Will they finally bring the trophy back to NYC?
- The kids are the future. And the future is now in San Antonio. In game one of the Western Conference Finals, the Spurs rolled out the youngest starting lineup in NBA conference finals history. Can their star center, Victor Wembanyama (22 years old), lead them to a title?
A booming audience. History-making teams. Edge-of-the-seat action. All reasons to show the NBA Finals at your business with a DIRECTV FOR BUSINESS sports package.
How to Score More Business During the NBA Finals
The biggest games of the year mean more people looking for somewhere to catch all the action. And more people looking to watch means more opportunities for your business.
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Host Finals Watch Parties: From in-game raffles for swag and discounts to slam-dunk food and drink deals and well-timed happy hour specials, make every game of the series an event so customers know your business is the go-to spot for NBA Finals action.
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Provide Courtside Viewing: Make sure you have plenty of big-screen TVs and comfortable seating so there’s not a bad seat in the house.
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Promote Your Venue as THE NBA Finals Hot Spot: Use social media, email and in-venue signage to remind customers they can see the on-court action at your bar, restaurant or business. And with the DIRECTV MVP Marketing Program, you can even order custom coasters, posters, banners and more to promote your business.
Get DIRECTV FOR BUSINESS
DIRECTV FOR BUSINESS offers the ultimate live sports entertainment experience. Enjoy:
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99% signal reliability
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Standard professional installation included at no additional cost
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Dedicated customer support
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Access to Sports Bar Finder to help sports fans discover your location
DIRECTV is a leader in sports and delivers a one-stop shop for live programming across NBA, NFL, MLB, MLS, Formula 1, NHL and more, all through a single streamlined system built for business. Call 888.303.9117 to get started.
Don’t miss a second of the action. Explore DIRECTV FOR BUSINESS packages today.
