When viewers tune into Game 3 of this year’s NBA Finals, they will witness a series of major milestones.
Not only will that mark the first NBA Finals game that Madison Square Garden has hosted in 27 years, but it will be ABC’s first finals broadcast from its corporate headquarters in New York.
Play-by-play voice Mike Breen is calling his 21st consecutive NBA Finals, but this is also his first Knicks finals game since taking over New York’s lead announcer position on MSG Network in 2004.
The moment’s not lost on the native New Yorker. As he relayed to the New York Daily News, “I can’t tell you how many fans over the past couple of weeks, when you see them on the street or anywhere, they say, ‘Oh, I’ve waited my whole life for this.’”
Breen, who watched the Knicks’ only two championships when he was a kid, may not publicly say that he has personally waited his whole life for this moment. But his dual role as both a Knicks and national broadcaster makes him the perfect vehicle for what should be ABC’s biggest finals presentation yet.
New York Is The Center Of The 2026 NBA Finals
The 2026 NBA Finals will be a coming party for both the Knicks and incredibly young San Antonio Spurs. But it’s also a moment for Disney to claim a win on its “home turf” in the country’s largest media market.
After adding Tim Legler and Richard Jefferson to its top booth (joining Breen), ABC/ESPN’s NBA games have received decidedly better reviews. As The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand details, part of that comes from the powers-that-be giving the trio enough reps together to develop a noticeable rapport. The broadcast team nailing these finals would serve as a victory lap amid inexperience together on this large of a stage.
Beyond the traditional broadcast, ABC will also be putting New York and MSG front and center as venues for NBA Finals content.
ESPN’s NBA Today:
ESPN’s NBA Today Featuring Jeremy Lin of Knicks fame — will be on the road during the finals, airing near Madison Square Garden in New York (when the teams are playing there) and from The Alamo when games are in San Antonio. SportsCenter, NBA Tip-Off and Inside the NBA will all be on the road as well, with the Inside the NBA team getting its first finals exposure.
The Pat McAfee Show:
The Pat McAfee Show will air a live alt-cast from MSG in Game 3, and SportsCenter With Scott Van Pelt will be inside the venue as well for postgame coverage after games taking place in New York.
With the NBA Finals taking place in New York, the location presents an opportunity for cross-promotion with the ABC morning show Good Morning America – something that parent company Disney seems likely to embrace when the teams return to New York for Games 3 and 4.
How Disney Is Maximizing The NBA Finals
Due to its neutral and preset location, the NBA All-Star Game can have a greater celebratory atmosphere when it comes to league events.
It’s easier to plan in advance when sponsors, attending media and fans all know where to go a year ahead of time. And with so many teams’ stars involved, it’s harder for the event to feel removed from the NBA’s full range of fans.
The ability to use New York during this year’s Finals may be challenging that idea, though, at least in the short-term.
Last year’s ABC/ESPN activities were limited by comparison, save for taking NBA Today on the road. This year’s event will feature more in-person elements than what audiences saw during last year’s Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Indiana Pacers Finals, greater integration with the larger ESPN talent ecosystem, and simply, more coverage across ABC and ESPN.
The 2026 NBA Finals goes even further, too, to better engage with fans through digital platforms. This is less a product of New York, though, and more a product of greater investment – since ESPN will host fan activations and experiences not just in New York, but in Los Angeles as well.
ESPN will also be hosting a Game 2 watch party at Disney Springs in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., is selling NBA Finals apparel in collaboration with Knicks legend Allan Houston, will roll out various social integrations, and are even trying their hand at viral moments with trash cans featuring SportsCenter’s intro sound in New York and Los Angeles.
It will be at least another year before there’s clarity on whether this level of activation is spurred by the Knicks and New York, or is just the (bigger) way ESPN and ABC will be handling the Finals from now on. But if it’s a sign of things to come, it could be parent company Disney’s best bet at maximizing its increased NBA investment over the next decade.
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