Anthony Edwards MVP of the 2026 All-Star Game: young American Stars triumph
Feb 16, 2026
Nicolas Flamecourt
NBA All-Star Game 2026: record audience with 8.8 million viewers
The new 2026 All-Star Game format massively appeals to American viewers. With 8.8 million viewers, the NBA event achieves its best audience since 2011, marking a spectacular 87% increase compared to the previous edition.
Photo Credit : © Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Adam Silver’s gamble paid off. After years of criticism about the All-Star Game’s lack of intensity, the NBA revolutionized the event with an unprecedented « USA vs the rest of the world » format organized as a three-team mini-tournament. This bold reform not only improved the on-court spectacle, but also won over American viewers.
A historic television success driven by NBC
According to Nielsen and Adobe Analytics, 8.8 million fans gathered on NBC, Peacock and Telemundo to witness Team Stars’ victory and see Anthony Edwards win his first All-Star Game MVP trophy. This audience marks the best performance for the All-Star Game in 15 years, with an exceptional peak of 9.8 million viewers recorded during the evening’s third matchup.
Players and coaches were honored to have President Barack Obama in the building for the 2026 NBA All-Star Game. pic.twitter.com/qEsJIr8RnX
— NBA (@NBA) February 17, 2026
This peak audience moment corresponds to the game where Kawhi Leonard shined with 31 points, allowing Team Stripes to beat Team World led by Victor Wembanyama to qualify for the finals. A final that the Clippers player’s team would lose handily 47-21.
Compared to the 2025 edition which recorded only 4.7 million viewers – one of the lowest audiences in history – this 87% increase demonstrates the resounding success of this new format.
NBC’s winning return
This ratings success also confirms the successful return of the NBA to NBC, which had lost broadcasting rights since the 2001-2002 season. The American network benefits from a favorable context with the Milan-Cortina Olympics, its « Primetime in Milan » show having generated 26.6 million viewers before and after the All-Star Game.
Beyond this exceptional event, NBC is already recording excellent results with an average of 2.6 million viewers for regular season games, a 97% increase compared to audiences previously achieved by TNT in similar time slots. A new format that successfully combined quality entertainment and player engagement, exemplified by Victor Wembanyama, to finally deliver an All-Star Game worthy of the name.
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Nicolas Flamecourt
With a background in sports management, Nicolas Flamecourt covers NBA news with a particular passion for the North American league, which he has been following for several years. He also covers the NCAA, including news and scouting of future prospects, and regularly conducts interviews with French players as well as players competing in Europe.
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