Portland Trail Blazers rookie center Yang Hansen (杨瀚森) just helped the organization set another eye-popping mark in China.
The Rip City Remix announced that their November 14 game against the Valley Suns drew an NBA G League viewership record in China, with 36.3 million unique viewers and 44.7 million total video views, according to the team’s social media post.
The numbers add another layer to the 7-foot-1 rookie’s exploding popularity in his home country, where his Summer League and preseason appearances have already produced stunning TV ratings.
Blazers’ G League Affiliate Sets New Mark With China Audience
The Remix graphic, shared on X and Instagram, billed the matchup as an “NBA G League Viewership Record in China” for the Rip City Remix vs. Valley Suns game on November 14, 2025.
The team said the broadcast generated 36.3 million unique viewers and 44.7 million video views, staggering figures for a minor-league game typically streamed free on digital platforms. The game was part of Portland’s G League schedule at the Chiles Center and featured Yang after his assignment from the Trail Blazers.
Exact platform-by-platform breakdowns weren’t announced, but previous reports have pointed to massive audiences on Tencent and China Central Television (CCTV) for Yang’s games.
What the Record Means for Yang Hansen (杨瀚森) and the Blazers
For the Trail Blazers, the record reinforces what league officials and media have been saying for months: Yang isn’t just another late-lottery pick — he’s a broadcast draw.
NBA deputy commissioner Mark Tatum recently said that Portland’s Summer League games featuring Yang did better TV numbers in China than the NBA Finals, underscoring how powerful a single Chinese star can be for the league’s international reach.
Other reports from outlets such as Sports Illustrated and the Washington Post have detailed how Yang’s Summer League and preseason games produced multi-million audiences on Chinese platforms, in some cases outpacing national playoff broadcasts.
The Remix record suggests that demand hasn’t slowed now that Yang is splitting time between Portland and the G League.
For the Blazers, that could translate into:
- Global branding and sponsorship opportunities, particularly with Chinese partners,
- Increased merchandise sales and social-media engagement centered on Yang’s No. 16 jersey.
- Extra pressure to find NBA minutes for a rookie who is still developing but already drives massive interest overseas.
From Yang’s perspective, every big G League game doubles as a showcase not just for scouts but for millions of fans back home watching on late-night streams. That kind of audience can follow him into the NBA rotation if he carves out a role in Portland.
How Big Is 36.3 Million Viewers for a G League Game?
To put the Remix numbers in perspective, Tatum and other league voices have framed Yang’s impact this way:
- Videos featuring Yang posted on the Rip City Remix’s YouTube channel are averaging about 19 times as many views as the other uploads.
- His Summer League games out-rated this year’s NBA Finals in China, according to league officials cited by Sports Business Journal and Awful Announcing.
- Chinese broadcasters reported that some Yang broadcasts beat NBA playoff averages on national TV.
China already represents the NBA’s largest single-country audience, with more than half of Chinese internet users watching NBA content in 2024.
Against that backdrop, a G League game pulling tens of millions of viewers underscores how Yang has become the league’s most important new bridge to that market since Yao Ming.
The Remix record is likely not the last milestone. If Yang turns his growing skill set into steady production for the Blazers, the next wave of massive numbers may come from regular-season NBA games — not just a November night in the G League.
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