Lakers parade 2010 after NBA Finals Game 7 with the biggest global audience ever

The Lakers parade 2010 on Monday will celebrate Los Angeles's NBA championship over the Boston Celtics, but the NBA itself has more to celebrate. The NBA finals garnered more viewers in America than any World Cup match thus far, while also reaching out to more global viewers than ever before with new TV audiences in the UK, Mexico, and Africa.

For the first time ever, the United Kingdom could watch the games live on ESPN, Mexican cinema chain Cinepolis broadcast the NBA Finals live in theaters, Germany's sports journalists reported live from the games, and Africa broadcast the Lakers-Celtics series on 15 free-to-air stations through a new partnership with CAfrica.

"NBA popularity continues to rise around the globe and NBA fans from Boston to Beijing to Belgium are experiencing The Finals in more ways than ever before," says Matt Brabants, the NBA’s vice president of International Media Distribution.

IN PICTURES: Riots in Los Angeles after the NBA finals

The National Basketball Association (NBA) draws more than 50 percent of its TV audience from outside the US – more than any other US sports league. The recent Lakers-Celtics series was broadcast around the world in 215 countries and territories in 41 languages.

The world descended on Los Angeles and Boston, as well.

More than 280 international media members from 36 countries, including 44 media members from Lakers star Pau Gasol’s native Spain, reported live from the playoffs. A production company from India, Ten Sports, filmed a behind-the-scenes, three-part miniseries on the Lakers-Celtics series.

And other big markets offered coverage of the Finals. China presented live coverage through 51 television and digital media partners. Al Jazeera aired games live to the Middle East. Russia’s NTV Sport and Russia 2 provided coverage.

1 | 2

Next