The match between Shanghai Sharks and Zhejiang Guangsha, played on December 19, achieved more than double the normal TV viewing rate for the annual fixture. The match recorded a TV viewing rate of 1.22, compared to a usual average of between 0.5 and 0.6 for CBA openers - the figure refers to the number of television viewers watching the programme out of every 100 television viewers.
The CBA awarded the hosting rights for the opening match to the Sharks after Ming, one of the team's former stars, bought the Shanghai-based team.
