China
CBA opener hits new high for TV viewing rate
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-12-31 21:47
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BEIJING - The opener of the Chinese Basketball Association league (CBA) between Shanghai Sharks and Zhejiang Guangsha hit a record 1.22 on TV viewing rate, according to the China Central Television (CCTV).
The rate even surpassed that of the match between the Houston Rockets and the Dallas Mavericks on December 19, said the CCTV.
The usual rates were 0.5 to 0.6 (means 0.5 to 0.6 of every 100 televisions viewers watch the program) for CBA openers. The viewing rate of CBA matches wouldn't reach 1.0 until the playoffs, according to CCTV data.
"Yao Ming is the reason for the high rate," an official of CCTV's sports chancel said on Thursday.
The CBA awarded the hosting right of the opener to Shanghai for the first time after Yao bought the Shanghai-based Sharks club.
"Shanghai didn't have the honor to host the CBA opener even when I was playing with the Sharks," Yao said during the opener.
The 2.26-meter Rockets center is recovering from a hairline fracture in his left foot suffered in a May 8 playoff against the Los Angeles Lakers.
Yao led the Sharks to their first-ever league championship in the 2001-2002 season before he became the top overall pick by the Rockets in the 2002 draft.
