The 2026 NBA All-Star Game at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, drew 8.8 million viewers across NBC, Peacock, and Telemundo, marking the largest audience since 2011. The event featured a new USA vs. World tournament format that included USA Stars, USA Stripes, and World teams in a round-robin competition. Anthony Edwards earned MVP honors for the USA Stars after a standout performance.
The 2026 NBA All-Star Game took place on February 15-16 at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, introducing a fresh USA vs. World format to revive interest in the midseason exhibition. Under this structure, two U.S. teams—USA Stars and USA Stripes—competed against the World team in a round-robin tournament. The USA Stripes defeated the World team 48-45 in one matchup, while the USA Stars ultimately won the championship against the USA Stripes 47-21, according to reports.
Anthony Edwards of the USA Stars was named MVP, scoring 32 points, grabbing nine rebounds, and dishing three assists. Victor Wembanyama led the World team with 33 points, eight rebounds, and two blocks. The format's competitive edge, including close early games, contributed to the event's success, with Edwards noting it represented 'what it's all about' for showcasing future league stars.
Viewership averaged 8.8 million, an 87% increase from the previous year's 4.7 million and the highest since 2011. The broadcast peaked at 9.8 million viewers during the closing minutes of the USA Stripes' win over the World team. This surge followed a day of Milan Cortina Winter Olympics coverage on NBC, which averaged 26.6 million viewers.
All-Star Saturday events started at 2 p.m. local time to accommodate Olympic primetime scheduling, resulting in initially empty stands at the 15,067-capacity venue due to traffic and high resale ticket prices starting at $900. Former President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama attended the game, receiving a standing ovation while seated courtside with Julius Erving.
Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry, sidelined by a knee injury, hit a deep pregame shot from the NBC set and announced his return to the 2027 three-point contest, aiming to invite Damian Lillard and Klay Thompson. The Warriors stood at 29-26, eighth in the Western Conference at the time.