SPORTS

NBA all-star game in Toronto a ratings hit in Canada and the U.S.

The Canadian Press Published Wednesday, February 17, 2016 7:07PM EST

Western Conference's Kobe Bryant, of the Los Angeles Lakers, (24) and Eastern Conference's LeBron James, of the Cleveland Cavaliers, (23) laugh during second half NBA All-Star Game basketball action in Toronto on February 14, 2016. (Mark Blinch / The Canadian Press)

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TORONTO -- The recent NBA all-star game at Toronto's Air Canada Centre was a ratings winner on both sides of the border.

The West's 196-173 victory over the East was the most-viewed NBA all-star game in Canada since 1996. A total of 3.1 million unique viewers in Canada watched the TSN and Sportsnet simulcast of the Turner Sports broadcast, the NBA said Wednesday in a release.

The mid-season showcase delivered 7.6 million viewers in the United States, up six per cent from last year's game in New York. The 2016 game was the highest-scoring all-star game in NBA history.

A record 3.1 billion impressions and 453 million video views of NBA all-star content were generated across social platforms from Feb. 12-15, the league said.

There were 26.8 million video views for the NBA's video of highlights form the slam dunk competition, making it the most viewed NBA video ever on Facebook. In addition, a record 244 million video views were generated on NBA.com and the NBA App, doubling last year's totals.

It was the first time that the NBA all-star game was played in Toronto. The 2017 NBA all-star game will be played in Charlotte's Time Warner Cable Arena.