Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
City blames social media as it sidelines spontaneous Knicks watch parties
By
Charles Lane
Published May 27, 2026
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
Selcuk Acar/Anadolu via Getty Images
By
Charles Lane
Published May 27, 2026
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Impromptu watch parties near Madison Square Garden have gotten rowdier as the New York Knicks have roared their way back into the NBA Finals, and the NYPD is blaming some social media influencers for riling up the crowds.
A department spokesperson said officers will be barring “uncontrolled” events as the Finals begin next week and working events where officers can block entry, pen crowds and cap crowd sizes. The move comes after several outdoor screenings at MSG drew thousands of fans, some driven there by viral street-interview accounts on social media like Sidetalk, which a department spokesperson described as a force multiplier for chaos.
Police officials pointed to videos from outside Madison Square Garden showing fans brawling in the street, climbing on top of building awnings and jeering as an officer shouted through a megaphone trying to maintain control.
Attempts to reach Sidetalk were not immediately successful.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani has embraced the department's approach, saying his administration wants to make it easier for New Yorkers to celebrate the team's dominant run — their first Finals appearance since 1999 — at sites where crowds can be controlled.
"We're going to have watch parties. We're incredibly excited about those parties," Mamdani said on Tuesday at an unrelated press conference, pointing to recent city-sanctioned gatherings at Radio City Music Hall and Brooklyn Bowl, which ended without any arrests. "It's a time for New Yorkers to celebrate and it's a time where they're also safe."
A spontaneous gathering outside of MSG last week drew an estimated 6,000 people, where fans jumped police barricades, climbed light posts and drank in the street, police said. Six people were arrested.
Another unsanctioned event at the same spot on Memorial Day was less chaotic, but still resulted in six summonses for disorderly conduct, according to the department.
The NYPD recommended against approving outdoor watch party permits at MSG for both games. The Street Activity Permit Office, which sits in the mayor's office and makes the final call on permits, sided with police and denied applications for both events.
A City Hall spokesperson said the administration remains committed to permitting more parties going forward, but only at controlled sites.
Madison Square Garden declined to comment.
Tagged
new york city
public safety
sports
Charles Lane
Charles is a Day-of reporter focused on breaking news and enterprise. He’s very friendly and can be reached at [email protected], or more securely on whatsapp/signal 631-295-6715
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Dump truck driver hits and kills cyclist on 34th Street in Midtown, NYPD says
It's the latest in a string of hit-and-run deaths in the city in recent months.
By
Liam Quigley
Published Sep 28, 2026 at 4:15 p.m. ET
New ingredient mandated for Latin American kitchen, restaurant plates in NJ
The Garden State now requires that corn masa dough and flour made and sold in the state be fortified with folic acid.
By
Arya Sundaram
News
New ingredient mandated for Latin American kitchen, restaurant plates in NJ
The Garden State now requires that corn masa dough and flour made and sold in the state be fortified with folic acid.
By
Arya Sundaram
A Brooklyn jail cell filled with smoke. The emergency button failed, a lawyer said.
By
Samantha Max
Crews launch tunnel machines to dig first new Hudson River rail tunnels since 1910
By
Michael Sol Warren
NYC nor’easter dries up after weather service reports minor flooding
By
Ramsey Khalifeh
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .