Wembanyama’s selection produces record ratings at ESPN and ABC

Victor Wembanyama arrived at the NBA with a bang that was more or less expected. His selection became a real sensation on TV.

At Thursday night, when he was selected by San Antonio as the No.1 pick, ESPN and ABC averaged around 4,928,000 viewers according to Nielsen.

The broadcasting of the first round is a relatively new – it started 3 years ago, but it has never seen figure that high.

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It was the most-viewed program across television on the night.

Audiences are believed to have peaked at 6,085,000 during the first 15 minutes, which is the time when the 19-year-old superstar was drafted.

It was also 33% higher than the 2003 draft, when LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Carmelo Anthony were selected. Overall, the draft produced around 23% increase in vieweing in comparison to last year’s ESPN coverage.