MSG will hold a viewing party at Nom Wah Tea Parlor in Manhattan's Chinatown for tonight's home game against the Kings, and with G Jeremy Lin "attracting new Asian-American fans to the NBA, MSG might stage similar viewing parties in Queens and other parts of the city with thriving Asian communities." MSG Media President Michael Bair said that the party will "allow blacked-out viewers to share in the Linsanity." MSG Network execs will bring "life-size cutouts" of Lin to the restaurant. There also will be "T-shirts and other souvenirs" (USA TODAY, 2/15).
Also tonight, MSG will produce the first of a 15-game slate of Spanish-language telecasts dubbed, "Los Knicks en español." The coverage will feature Spanish graphics and the in-game announcing duo of Clemson Smith Muñiz/Juan Cains and halftime analysis from Felipe Lopez. Smith Muñiz and Cains are part of MSG Network Spanish-language radio and secondary audio programming.
MSG Network earned a 4.66 local rating for last night's Knicks-Raptors telecast, making it the highest-rated Knicks game on the net since it earned a 6.75 rating for F Carmelo Anthony's debut with the team on Feb. 23, 2011 (THE DAILY).
