Houston Rockets vs the Super Bowl

[dlwktb]

Quote from Daryl Morey, GM of the Houston Rockets:

If free agents out there want to be a global presence, we have more people tuning in to our regular season games each game than the Super Bowl.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/bk/bkn/7086061.html

Is this true? I could see it being true, I guess, but it's hard to believe.

[MountainHawk]

Not really a global presence though, is it? A couple hundred thousand people in Houston and 10s of millions in China.

[BG5150]

Not really a global presence though, is it? A couple hundred thousand people in Houston and 10s of millions in China.

But that's 10's of millions of Chinese who can buy jerseys and ball caps.

(But I wonder if the NBA/Rockets would see any of that money, since most of the stuff probably is counterfeit.)

[Keep It Real, Yo]

Isn't it all made in China anyway? That would save on shipping costs.

[Joe Blow]

Is this true? I could see it being true, I guess, but it's hard to believe.

I believe the particular regular season game was one against the Bucks that had a bigger viewership than the most recent Super Bowl at the time. I'm not aware if it is every Rocket game versus every Super Bowl.

[Joe Blow]

The Rockets and Bucks played a game a few years ago that had an audience of 200 million people (http://houston4bosh.com/chris-bosh-houston-rockets/china/). Yes, regular season.
.

[Joe Blow]

Their first NBA meeting last November drew between an estimated 100 and 200 million viewers, while Saturday's was televised live by three Chinese networks, and delayed on a fourth.

An estimated 200 million people watched (http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/cndy/2008-02/04/content_6439755.htm) the game worldwide - more than are expected to watch Sunday's American gridiron championship Super Bowl..

[Irish Blues]

Somehow I doubt NBA free agents are going to flock to Houston just because they might be seen by 100-200 million people in China - especially since 99% of them wouldn't tune in to see the Rockets if they didn't have a 7'6" Chinese guy on the roster. I just can't picture people in China rushing out to buy Chuck Hayes jerseys just because the guy is on the same team as Yao Ming, and I can't picture them rushing out to scoop up jerseys of any other Rockets player unless the guy is Chinese as well.

[dlwktb]

So he's a LIAR!

[dlwktb]

Somehow I doubt NBA free agents are going to flock to Houston just because they might be seen by 100-200 million people in China - especially since 99% of them wouldn't tune in to see the Rockets if they didn't have a 7'6" Chinese guy on the roster. I just can't picture people in China rushing out to buy Chuck Hayes jerseys just because the guy is on the same team as Yao Ming, and I can't picture them rushing out to scoop up jerseys of any other Rockets player unless the guy is Chinese as well.

Maybe not a ton of them but there will certainly be more of them who buy Chuck Hayes' jersey than another no name on a team that's NEVER televised in China.

[Joe Blow]

I just can't picture people in China rushing out to buy Chuck Hayes jerseys just because the guy is on the same team as Yao Ming
Perhaps, but they do rush out to buy his shoes.

The Rockets organization has worked numerous lucrative sponsorships with Chinese companies. Shane Battier (Peak), Luis Scola (Anta) and Chuck Hayes (http://houston4bosh.com/chris-bosh-houston-rockets/china/) (Li Ning) all have their own deals with shoe companies in China.

[Joe Blow]

Yao Ming didn't play a game last year and China was still out to get the Rockets in the All Star Game.Consider that Tracy McGrady, who spent most of the season in a leather recliner in Chicago hugging a bowl of Fruity Pebbles, had over 1 million votes and nearly was a starter. Trevor Ariza, who couldn't crack the top 10 West forwards last year, magically had over 640 thousand votes this year, more than Derrick Rose, Paul Pierce, Josh Smith and Joe Johnson. Ron Artest the Rocket? He stockpiled 1.3 million votes last year. Artest the Laker? Not even 370 thousand.

[sooner82]

Did the Rocket's chinese viewership take a sizeable hit with Yao on the bench all season? I think his contract is up next year, it'll be interesting to see how much money teams throw at him despite his nagging foot injury, in order to cash in on the Chinese market.