Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (number 22) poses with Atlanta Dream guard Caitlin Clark (number 22) during a WNBA preseason game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on May 9, 2024 in Indianapolis, Indiana. He goes to the basket against Destani Henderson (number 33).
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Viewership and attendance for the Women’s National Basketball Association skyrocketed during the 2024 season as the league’s popularity soared with the success of young stars such as Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese.
League games drew an all-time record of more than 54 million unique viewers across a variety of networks including: disneyABC and ESPN Paramount Global”CBS, EW Scripps According to data released Friday by the WNBA, reported by Ion and NBA TV, among others.
In addition, WNBA game attendance reached its highest level in 22 years, an increase of nearly 50% from the 2023 season, according to the league. There were 154 packed games this year, more than triple the 45 packed games in 2023.
This season has seen an explosion in metrics and popularity, with top rookies such as Clark of the Indiana Fever and Reese of the Chicago Sky appearing, and the Las Vegas A’s claiming their third consecutive championship. The numbers highlight why the league has been able to land lucrative new media rights deals and is in an expansion phase: The WNBA announced this month that it will add a 15th team in Portland for the 2026 season.
As attention to the league has increased, more players have said they have experienced harassment and racism online. Asked about the move on CNBC earlier this month, WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert did not explicitly condemn the abuse of players, but it drew criticism from around the league.
she It was later revealed She said she was against “hate and racism.”
Clark’s influence was also felt in Fever attendance. Every team in the WNBA saw a double-digit increase in attendance year-over-year. However, according to the WNBA, the Fever posted more than a four-fold increase, significantly outpacing the second-place Los Angeles Sparks’ 69% growth.
The WNBA also saw significant growth across merchandise and social engagement during the season. WNBA social media accounts received nearly 2 billion video views, more than four times as many as the 2023 season.
The increased attention led to an 11-season, $2.2 billion media rights deal, with the price to be reevaluated after the 2028 season, CNBC previously reported. WNBA media rights were negotiated earlier this year within the broader NBA agreement.
During the rights negotiations, which resulted in a $77 billion, 11-year deal, the NBA sought more funding due to the WNBA’s growing popularity.
During the 2024 WNBA season, the telecasts of the 22 regular season games averaged at least 1 million viewers.
Several individual games broke records for WNBA viewership on ESPN, with an average audience of 1.19 million viewers, an increase of 170% from last season and the most-watched regular season in ESPN history, according to the league. It became. The 2024 season featured seven of the most-watched WNBA games in history on ESPN, as well as ABC’s top two games.
This season was also the most-watched regular season in history for CBS Sports, and was the most-watched WNBA regular season in CBS Sports history, including June’s Sky at Fever game, which averaged 2.25 million viewers. The match was played.
The ratings explosion carried into the postseason, as the September 22 matchup between the Fever and the Connecticut Sun drew record viewers. According to ESPN. Clarks Fever lost in two games in the first round.
The league’s playoffs are now in the semifinals, with a rematch between the Aces and last year’s runner-up New York Liberty.
