Tuesday, May 26, 2026

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.

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Sign up for
The Memo Newsletter

Get the biggest stories and best analysis on the business of sports delivered to your inbox twice every weekday and twice on weekends.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Pochettino Defends How He Delivered World Cup Roster News

Pochettino said calling players who got cut would’ve been “bullshit.”
PWHL - OTT at BOS- April 30, 2026_11

PWHL Players Publish Every Salary in League

Only 10 players earned six figures, while two-thirds earned less than $60K.
Jan 13, 2025; Glendale, AZ, USA; Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores against the Los Angeles Rams during an NFC wild card game at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Supreme Court Won’t Tackle Arbitration Issue in Flores Case

The decision means Flores’s racial discrimination lawsuit can proceed to trial.
May 24, 2026; Evanston, IL, USA; Northwestern Wildcats attack Kathryn Ratanaproeksa (13) shoots against the North Carolina Tar Heels during the first half at Martin Stadium

Can Women’s Lacrosse Buck the Trend in College Sports?

The sport is fighting to prove its worth in the revenue-sharing era.

Featured Today

Big Money on the Line on Premier League’s Final Day

Arsenal has won the title, but millions are still at stake.
Texas State mascot
May 22, 2026

Mascot-Reveal Videos Are the Newest College Sports Tradition

Student mascot unmasking videos are going mega-viral.
Charlie Pliner and Nikolas Rohrmann
May 22, 2026

How 2 Brown Undergrads Became Sports Dealmakers

An experimental project turned into a permanent course and business deal network.
May 14, 2026

NFL Rivalries Are Made on the Field, Mocked in Schedule Release Videos

Every year, teams find new ways to one-up themselves (and their rivals).
Sponsored

The Hidden Economy of Race Weekend

Learn more about the Vintage Flying Museum and how Spectrum Business is helping them achieve their business goals while fueling their dreams.
May 21, 2026

CBS, TNT Sports Parents Face New Merger Scrutiny by Lawmakers

A group of six U.S. senators raises concerns about the proposed megadeal.
May 16, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Ronda Rousey (blue gloves) celebrates defeating Gina Carano (red gloves) after a women's featherweight bout at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
May 21, 2026

How Jake Paul’s MVP Plans to Build on Netflix MMA Debut

Saturday’s debut averaged 12.4 million viewers on Netflix.
Sponsored

The Hidden Economy of Race Weekend

Learn more about the Vintage Flying Museum and how Spectrum Business is helping them achieve their business goals while fueling their dreams.
May 20, 2026

NHL Playoffs Deliver Record Second-Round Ratings for ESPN, TNT

The Canadiens-Sabres series brought additional audience milestones.
The University of Alabama showed off renovations to Bryant Denny Stadium Thursday, Oct. 1, 2020. Sports Illustrated covers decorate the walls inside the new press box. [Staff Photo/Gary Cosby Jr.]
May 20, 2026

Sports Illustrated Defends Its Standards After Plagiarism Incident

SI removed its prediction-markets affiliate following accusations of plagiarism.
Racin' With The Boys
exclusive
May 20, 2026

‘Bussin’ With the Boys’ Launching New NASCAR Show

Peyton Manning’s Omaha Productions will produce the show.
May 19, 2026

NFL Pushes Back on Criticism Over TV and Streaming Deals

The league remains steadfast in its overall media approach.