Victor Wembanyama is no ordinary rookie. Widely considered the most coveted prospect since LeBron James, the moment he steps on an NBA court, Wembanyama will immediately be one of the league’s biggest stars, literally and figuratively.
Ideally, Wembanyama would have landed in a major city like Los Angeles or New York, both cultural hubs capable of elevating the French phenom to global status. Instead, he’ll begin his career in San Antonio, which, despite having the country’s seventh-largest population (1.43 million), is a distant 31st in market area, sandwiched between San Diego at No. 30 and Columbus at 32.
Even when the Spurs were relevant during their early 2000s dynasty, they were a ratings disappointment, resulting in three of the least-watched Finals of our current century. Tim Duncan’s general blandness, offering only rare glimpses into his personality, can’t be discounted as a factor. However, there’s little doubt he would have been a bigger star elsewhere, likely leaving millions on the table by spending his career in San Antonio.
Of course, there’s no competition with the novelty of Wembanyama, a cartoonishly skilled, seven-foot monstrosity with unprecedented height and athleticism. However, even if Wembanyama lives up to his incredible hype, the Spurs, coming off a dismal 22-60 season, don’t project to be good anytime soon, another obstacle standing in the way of consistent viewership.
In flying Brian Windhorst to Paris for a minute-long interview last month, ESPN has shown its commitment to covering every step of Wembanyama’s journey, positioning him as the new face of basketball. “If Victor Wembanyama was playing in New York or L.A., I think that comes with a certain heat to it,” conceded Matt Kenny, who serves as ESPN’s vice president of programming and acquisitions. “At the same time, I do think storylines and superstars have an ability to cut through markets, so to speak.”
Kenny cited the recent NBA Finals, which drew strong ratings despite the country’s unfamiliarity with Nikola Jokic or the Denver Nuggets. Similarly, LeBron’s star was bright enough to overcome the relative anonymity of Cleveland (No. 18 media market), elevating the Cavaliers from afterthought status to appointment viewing.
The coverage surrounding Wembanyama’s recent trip to Yankee Stadium, going viral for his errant first pitch and difficulty squeezing into a New York subway, illustrates how famous the 19-year-old already is, with cameras following his every move.
“It just underscores what type of generational talent we’re talking about,” ESPN’s head of NBA and studio production Dave Roberts expressed to The Athletic. “He’s going to be one of the most high-interest athletes to come into any sport.”
Making a horrendous team worth watching in a small media market is a hard trick to pull off. Still, Wembanyama might be the rare unicorn capable of bridging that impossible gap.
“We have an incredible relationship with the league,” said Kenny. “We’re very well aligned with them on all things scheduling-related. So we will have a number of conversations with them to determine the best approach for the season as a whole, and certainly the Spurs will be part of that.”
