By Rory Carroll
(Reuters) -San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama’s blistering start to the 2025–26 NBA season has driven sharp gains in U.S. television audiences, international interest and league-wide digital engagement, according to data provided to Reuters by the NBA.
Wembanyama and the Spurs drew an average 2.49 million viewers for their national television debut on October 22 against the Dallas Mavericks, up 63% from ESPN’s comparable opening-night game a year earlier, the league said.
His next national TV appearance is scheduled for Wednesday, November 5, on ESPN against the Los Angeles Lakers.
In San Antonio, the October 22 Spurs-Mavericks telecast delivered a 7.3 household rating, the highest-rated Spurs regular-season game on ABC, ESPN or TNT in the market since Wembanyama’s debut in 2023.
FRENCH FASCINATION
French interest continues to swell. The league said the 2024–25 campaign was the most-watched NBA season ever on French television.
Wembanyama’s third game this season, against the Brooklyn Nets on October 26, was the most-viewed regular-season game in France on NBA League Pass in two years, while new League Pass subscriptions in France are up 54% year-on-year.
Online, Wembanyama has become the fastest player in league history to generate more than 1 billion views across NBA social channels, according to the data.
ON-COURT DOMINANCE
On court, the 7-foot-4 Frenchman has paired box-office appeal with record-setting production.
He is the first player in league history with 150-plus points, 70-plus rebounds, 20-plus blocks and five or more made three-pointers over any five-game span, according to the NBA.
On Thursday, “Wemby” powered the Spurs to the franchise’s first 5-0 start, scoring a team-high 26 points with 18 rebounds, six assists and five blocks in a hard-fought 107-101 win over the Miami Heat.
Wembanyama let out a roar when he drew a foul late to seal the win and was showered with chants of “MVP” at Frost Bank Center as he stepped to the free-throw line.
“It’s the exclamation point,” he told reporters of the sequence.
“It was a hard game and it feels good to have that relief after all the effort we put in over 48 minutes.”
(Reporting by Rory Carroll in Los Angeles)
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