• Loading stock data...
Tuesday, May 21, 2024

Las Vegas Aces Clincher Produces Most-Watched WNBA Finals Game 4

  • The 889,000 average viewers represented the most-watched game of this year’s Finals.
  • Competing with ALCS Game 3, it was still the most-watched WNBA Finals Game 4 of all time.
Las Vegas Aces guard Kelsey Plum drives past New York Liberty guard Courtney Vandersloot in the first quarter during game four of the 2023 WNBA Finals at Barclays Center.
Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

Just like the champion Las Vegas Aces, the 2023 WNBA Finals finished strong with record viewership.

Wednesday night’s Game 4 reportedly averaged 889,000 viewers for ESPN — the most-watched game of this year’s championship series and the most-watched WNBA Finals Game 4 of all time.

The average represents a huge 124% increase over 2022’s Game 4 involving the Aces and Connecticut Sun — also a championship clincher for Las Vegas — and peaked at 1.3 million viewers at 10 p.m. ET as the contest was coming down to the wire in the fourth quarter.

The WNBA competed with baseball’s ALCS Game 3 between the Houston Astros and Texas Rangers, which attracted 4.6 million average viewers on Fox, as well as AEW Wednesday Night Dynamite, which averaged 901,000 viewers on TBS, per SportsTVRatings.

Prior to the final game, the 2023 WNBA Finals was averaging 673,000 viewers, making it the most-watched series through three games since 2003. With Wednesday’s viewership included, that number jolts up to 728,000 to maintain that superlative and be a 36% increase from 2022’s Finals.

It caps off a successful year for the W on television.

The 2023 regular season reached 36 million total unique viewers and averaged 505,000 per game — a 27% and 8% increase from the year prior, respectively. The 2023 Postseason averaged 470,000 viewers across ESPN platforms, making it the most-watched postseason in 16 years.

Overall, the regular season, Playoffs, and Finals averaged 453,900 viewers — the most-watched full season on ESPN platforms in 18 years, and a 10% increase from 2022.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

The NBA’s Final Four May Not Be Exactly What the League Envisioned

This final four will need to lean on its own unique drama to draw big audiences.

Sports World’s Ground Zero: Dallas to Host NBA and NHL Conference Finals

American Airlines Center is the first arena to host NHL, NBA conference finals games in the same season since 2003.

WNBA’s Boom Time: Record Growth, Clark’s Debut, a Controversial Deal

League attendance is up by nearly a third, while the Liberty set a single-game ticketing record.
exclusive

‘This Is Semi-Pro’: Inside One Arena Football League Team’s Collapse

The collapse of the Georgia Force, as told by the players who lived it.
podcast thumbnail mobile
Front Office Sports Today

Bare Knuckle Fighting Comes Out of the Shadows

0:00

Featured Today

Michael Block signs autographs on the 18th hole during day three of practice for the PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club on Wednesday, May 15, 2024.

‘I Prefer It This Way’: How Life Works for PGA Club Pros

Here’s how life works for the qualifiers at golf’s second major.
February 5, 2019; Washington, DC, USA; The grounds of the Capitol Building empty out following the conclusion of President Donald Trump's State of the Union speech on February 5, 2019.
May 18, 2024

‘A Breathtaking Lobbying Campaign’: The NCAA’s Sophisticated Effort to Save Amateurism

Inside the carefully coordinated, multimillion-dollar operation to end the athletes’ rights era.
May 14, 2024

The WNBA Was Forged in Houston. Why Won’t It Go Back There?

Houston’s a perfect fit for expansion. The league isn’t considering it yet.
May 9, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) stands with the team during the national anthem on Thursday, May 9, 2024, during the preseason game against the Atlanta Dream at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
May 12, 2024

‘Perfect Storm’: The Rise of Local WNBA Broadcast Pacts

With national attention reaching new heights, regional coverage could dictate the future.

Careers

Powered By

Careers in Sports

Looking for a new job? Check out these featured listings and search for openings all over the world.
Live Nation
Multiple - USA Careers
Adidas
Multiple - USA Careers
FanDuel
Multiple - USA Careers
Bally-Sports

DSG’s Path to Revival Faces Major Pushback from MLB, NBA, and NHL

Three major pro leagues raise further concerns about the bankrupt Bally Sports parent.
May 16, 2024

Amazon’s Thursday Night Fever: Banking on Caitlin Clark’s Impact

Clark makes her home debut for the Indiana Fever on Thursday night.
May 16, 2024

NFL’s Christmas Shake-Up: Netflix and Amazon Will Take It Over in ’25

This is the new-age NFL, where anything goes, if the price is right.
Sponsored

Major League Rugby’s Vision for American Rugby

How Major League Rugby is leading the Rugby renaissance in the U.S.
May 15, 2024

NFL’s Schedule Points to Network Strategies: Chiefs Lead, Texans Rise

The two-time defending champions are a fixture across many of the league’s tentpole events.
May 15, 2024

Caitlin Clark Debuts With WNBA’s Most-Watched Game in Decades

The game averaged 2.12 million viewers, the WNBA’s highest since 2001.
May 15, 2024

MLB Slams Bally Sports Parent, Calls Blackout of Several Teams ‘Harmful’

The league blasts the bankrupt Bally Sports parent in a new court filing.
May 15, 2024

NFL Signs Three-Year Christmas Day Deal With Netflix

The streamer will show two holiday games in 2024 and one apiece in ’25 and ’26.