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The WNBA’s much-criticized decision to move Game 6 of the Finals to a Thursday afternoon didn’t stop the matchup from becoming the fifth most-watched WNBA Finals game on cable on record, according to USA Sports.
USA Sports said Saturday that the Dream’s 80–69 win over the Valkyries averaged 1.5 million viewers across USA Network, E!, SYFY, and streaming platforms led by Peacock. That’s 4% higher than last year’s series-clinching Game 4 between Las Vegas and Phoenix, which aired in primetime. The network also noted that the average audience was 1.7 million when including replays on USA Network and CNBC during the game’s original 8 p.m. ET time slot.
The ratings came despite concerns that moving the game from primetime to a Thursday afternoon could significantly hurt viewership. Nielsen previously told Front Office Sports that the total TV audience at noon on Thursdays this month was about 40% of the audience at 8 p.m. ET. One source familiar with TV ratings told FOS that moving a championship-level event from primetime to midday could reduce viewership by 40% to 60%.
The WNBA moved Thursday’s game from 8 p.m. ET to 12:30 p.m. to avoid a scheduling conflict with the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks at State Farm Arena, which seats 17,000 compared to just 3,500 at the Dream’s regular home, Gateway Center. But it’s still unclear how many viewers Game 6 would have drawn had it remained in its original primetime slot.
The Dream’s win forced the first Game 7 in WNBA history, setting up a winner-take-all matchup Saturday at 8 p.m. ET on USA Network and CNBC. Atlanta is seeking its first championship against Golden State.
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