Victor Wembanyama’s NBA Summer League debut came just shy of a viewership record.
Friday’s Hornets-Spurs NBA Summer League game, which marked the debut of #1 overall pick Wembanyama, averaged 1.39 million viewers on ESPN — trailing only Zion Williamson’s earthquake-shortened debut four years ago as the most-watched Summer League game on record (2019 Pelicans-Knicks: 1.61M). (LeBron James’ Summer League debut in 2003 aired on NBA TV, which was not Nielsen-rated at the time.)
The game averaged nearly one million more viewers than last year’s most-watched Summer League telecast, Magic-Kings featuring #1 pick Paolo Banchero (433K). Viewership peaked at 1.63 million.
Wembanyama’s debut averaged more viewers than last year’s sole regular season Spurs game on ESPN, ABC or TNT, a special matchup against the Warriors from the Alamo Dome that averaged 1.36 million on ESPN in January. It also topped last year’s lone Hornets game on those networks, a February matchup against Boston that averaged 969,000 on ESPN.
The arrival of the much-hyped Wembanyama figures to make the Spurs — a ratings drag for nearly all of the Tim Duncan era — into one of the league’s top draws. Even with him sitting out, San Antonio’s California Classic Summer League game against the Lakers last Wednesday was the most-watched in the five-year history of that event (403K).
The Summer League milestones come on the heels of a viewership record for last month’s NBA Draft.
Viewership for Wembanyama’s second — and final — Summer League game on Sunday was not immediately available. The Spurs are shutting the top pick down for the remainder of the competition.
(Nielsen estimates from network PR)
