NBL26 Championship Series Smashes All-Time Attendance Records

The Hungry Jack’s NBL26 Championship Series has officially entered the record books as the most-attended finals series in the league’s 47-year history.

Drawing a total of 70,269 fans across a five-game thriller between the Sydney Kings and Adelaide 36ers, the series eclipsed the previous benchmark of 67,475 set during the 2022-23 season.

The turnout included four sell-outs across Qudos Bank Arena and the Adelaide Entertainment Centre, culminating in a record-breaking 18,589 fans packing the Sydney venue for Game 5. This marked the largest single-game crowd in NBL history, a feat achieved twice within the final week of the season.

For the NBL, the 2026 season represents a commercial “triple crown,” marking the third consecutive year the league has surpassed one million total fans. With 63 sell-outs across the regular season and finals, the NBL has solidified its position as a Tier-1 Australian sporting product with high-density venue utilization.

Highlighting the tangible impact of the record crowds on the game’s outcome, Sydney Kings star, Xavier Cooks, said: “We don’t win that game without the crowd.”

“Down six with 90 seconds to go… you could feel the energy, the momentum, the shift from there.

“I don’t think people understand the influence a crowd can have,” Cooks said following the Game 5 win. 

On-Court Excellence Drives Commercial Success

The crowd figures were mirrored by elite athletic performances that dominated social media and broadcast discussions throughout the series.

• Kendric Davis (Adelaide 36ers): Produced a statistically unique post-season, becoming the first player in NBL history to record 35 points and 14 assists with zero turnovers in a single game (Game 3), repeating the 35 and 14 feat in the Game 5 decider.
• Bryce Cotton: Delivered a signature game-winning shot in Game 2, maintaining the series’ high-stakes momentum.
• Xavier Cooks (Sydney Kings): The NBL23 MVP was pivotal in the Game 5 overtime victory, recording 19 points and 12 rebounds.

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