Women’s sports are growing in popularity across the board — and the WNBA is no exception.
The league’s regular season, which concluded Sunday, saw upticks in television viewership, social media engagement, and merchandise purchases, the league announced.
Viewership on national television went up 16% compared with last year, marking the highest-rated season since 2008. The league’s subscription service, WNBA League Pass, also saw a 10% jump in subscribers.
Social media handles on Youtube, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat saw a 36% increase in video viewership — for a total of 186 million.
The WNBA All-Star game enjoyed record merchandise sales, twice as much as the previous record.
“We can officially say the #WNBA regular season was a SUCCESS,” the league said on Twitter.
The playoffs tip off on Wednesday between the New York Liberty and the defending champion Chicago Sky.
The league’s recent growth and success is reflected in the college pipeline, too. The NCAA Division I women’s basketball tournament set multiple viewership and attendance milestones.
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