• Loading stock data...
Sunday, June 22, 2025

Brittney Griner’s Return is Cable’s Most-Viewed WNBA Game In 24 Years

  • ESPN’s broadcast of Friday’s Phoenix Mercury-Los Angeles Sparks game drew 1 million peak viewers.
  • Average viewership was up 103% over last year’s WNBA opening night broadcast on ESPN platforms.
ESPN's broadcast was the WNBA's most-viewed regular season game on cable in 24 years.
Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

ESPN’s broadcast of Brittney Griner’s return to the WNBA last Friday was the most-viewed WNBA regular season game on cable television in 24 years and the most-viewed WNBA opening night game on ESPN platforms in 11 years. 

Friday’s broadcast peaked at 1 million viewers and had 683,000 average viewers as Griner’s Phoenix Mercury lost to the Los Angeles Sparks at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. The game’s average viewership was up 103% compared to last year’s WNBA opening night broadcast on ESPN platforms. 

Ratings for the WNBA have been up, as last year’s regular season on ESPN platforms was the league’s most-watched since 2006. April’s WNBA Draft on ESPN drew 520,000 viewers, making it the most-watched WNBA Draft since 2004. 

The WNBA’s broadcast deal with Disney-owned ESPN and ABC runs through the 2025 season. Friday night WNBA games are also airing this season on the Ion Television network through the WNBA’s new deal with the E.W. Scripps Company. 

Commissioner Cathy Engelbert also believes appetite for watching the WNBA is benefiting from popularity at the college level after April’s LSU-Iowa NCAA Championship game on ABC scored 9.9 million viewers as the most-watched women’s college basketball game ever. 

“I think we’re seeing our product being valued, coming off that strong viewership at the college level with that game on ABC,” Engelbert told Front Office Sports in an interview. “We’re different because we have a more lifestyle viewer, so when we’re on ABC, we do really well because of the nature of our fan base.”

Earlier this month, the Phoenix Mercury and Phoenix Suns had their new attempted media deal to regionally broadcast games over the air blocked by a bankruptcy judge, saying the agreement violated Phoenix’s deal with Diamond Sports Group’s Bally Sports Arizona. 

“The whole media landscape is being very disrupted, and I’m watching that very carefully as we think about our next media rights deal,” Engelbert said. “I’m excited, quite frankly, to take a look at this and the way our media rights are valued.”

Amazon is also in the third year of its deal signed in 2021 to stream 16 WNBA games per year and the Commissioner’s Cup on Prime Video. 

“We’re just going to continue to evaluate what’s going on with streamers, Amazon, as well as other streamers entering the live sports marketplace,” Engelbert said. “Now that people understand that Prime Video has live sports, we’re really gonna hit the ground running with marketing on both sides to get that viewership up on streaming and our linear partners as well.”

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

WNBA Players Drop Fresh Statement in CBA Fight: ‘We Want a Fair..

The WNBA All-Star Game is less than four weeks away.
exclusive

LeBron James’s Growing Amazon Ties Could Lead to Prime Role

James has praised Prime’s NBA talent hires for the 2025–26 season.

Fire Rekindled? WNBA’s Portland Expansion Team Eyes Original Name

WNBA trademarks hint at Portland Fire revival as league expands and honors history.

Featured Today

Mar 15, 2025; Fort Worth, TX, USA; UAB Blazers forward Yaxel Lendeborg (3) dribbles the ball upcourt against the North Texas Mean Green during the first half at Dickies Arena

NIL Is Shrinking the Pool of NBA Draft Entrants

Agents are now advising many players to stay in school.
Apr 24, 2025; Green Bay, WI, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions defensive end Abdul Carter on the red carpet before the 2025 NFL Draft at Lambeau Field
June 21, 2025

‘More Is More’: The Elite Luxury Jewelers Decking Out Athletes

Meet the elite group of luxury designers crafting the biggest statement pieces.
Dec 5, 2024; Miami, FL, USA; FIFA president Gianni Infantino presents the FIFA Club World Cup trophy during the Club Word Cup draw at Telemundo Studios.
June 15, 2025

Revamped Club World Cup Is FIFA’s Billion-Dollar Gamble

The revamped soccer event debuts amid controversy.
Jun 10, 2025; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; United States head coach Mauricio Pochettino stands during the anthem against the Switzerland during the first at Geodis Park
June 14, 2025

Gold Cup Is Complicated for USMNT—but U.S. Soccer Has Its Eyes on..

Uncertain tournament success isn’t fazing forward-looking U.S. soccer.

Pacers Force Game 7, Could Spark Big Ratings Boost for NBA Finals

Game 7 could boost NBA Finals ratings after a slow start this year.
June 17, 2025

Streaming Tops Linear for First Time, Sports Still Key to TV’s Resilience

Streaming hits another critical milestone in an accelerating media transition.
June 17, 2025

Stanley Cup Final Delivers Drama but Struggles for Eyeballs in U.S.

U.S. viewership fell while Canadian audiences for the event rose slightly.
Sponsored

Game On: Portfolio Players Stories, Brought to You by E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley

Ted Leonsis unpacks basketball’s global rise, media rights, and portfolio ownership.
June 17, 2025

Zaslav Takes Pay Cut, TNT Sports Future Unclear in WBD Shake-Up

The TNT Sports parent company retools its executive pay after shareholder pushback.
Tyrese Haliburton
June 16, 2025

NBA Finals Ratings Up Again in Game 4 but Still Down Overall

More than nine million people watched Games 3 and 4.
Thunder
June 16, 2025

NBA, ABC Air Finals Lineup Intros After Fan Complaints

ABC aired player intros for the first time in 12 years Monday. 
Anthony Slater
exclusive
June 13, 2025

Top Warriors Reporter Anthony Slater Leaving The Athletic for ESPN

Anthony Slater starts at ESPN later this summer.