Victor Wembanyama’s overwhelming initial seasonal performance of the 2025/26 NBA was a major factor behind the rise of TV ratings, global fan base, and online interaction, as per the NBA records.
The Spurs’ nationally televised game against the Dallas Mavericks on October 22 was an average of 2.49 million viewers outing, therefore, marking a 63% increase frontier of ESPN reconstruct open of the night broadcast last year. The competition in San Antonio resulted in a 7.3 household rating — the highest for a Spurs regular-season game on ABC, ESPN, or TNT after the league debut of Wembanyama in 2023.
The change in viewership was similarly as drastic in France and the NBA has acknowledged that the 2024/25 season was the most-watched in the country. Wembanyama’s October 26 battle against the Brooklyn Nets has turned into the most-viewed regular-season game on NBA League Pass in France over the last two years, with a 54% increase in subscriptions year-on-year.
Online, the towering 7-foot-4 Frenchman is the quickest player ever in the NBA to garner over one billion social media views. However, he keeps on top of the game in the real world — scoring 26 points, 18 rebounds, six assists, and five blocks in Thursday’s 107-101 victory over the Miami Heat, thereby, he was the main reason the Spurs managed to make their first 5-0 start in franchise history.
