[1] The film made its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 16, 2004, and was theatrically released by Fine Line Features in the United States on April 15, 2005.

The film received generally positive reviews from critics.

The Year of the Yao had a limited theatrical release in the United States, Australia and Taiwan.

The site's critical consensus reads, "This sports bio documentary is given a few fresh angles, including culture clash issues, and the friendship that develops between Yao and his interpreter.

"[3] On Metacritic, the film has a score of 62 out of 100 based on 11 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".