Yao vs Yi expected to draw 200 million viewers

The first regular season matchup between the new look Houston Rockets and the Milwaulkee Bucks is tonight and it is expected to draw an audience that would put the super bowl to shame.

The Game is scheduled to air in China at 9:00am but it is still expected to draw over 200 million viewers. The game will be broad casted on 19 different chinese channels, two webcasts and wireless phone.

It’s the first regular season matchup between the games next great big man, Yao Ming facing his highly touted rookie countryman Yi Jianlian for the first time.

“It’s the two best basketball players in the country coming to play in the best basketball league in the world. It doesn’t matter who wins. It’s the best thing that can happen in China, because people will be excited either way.”

said Wang Meng, a sports writer who covers the Rockets for Titan Sports, a Beijing-based newspaper.