• Loading stock data...
Sunday, August 31, 2025
The biggest names in sports media. All in one room. Get your ticket now!

Unrivaled Debuts With Modest Ratings on TNT

The new 3-on-3 women’s basketball league debuted Friday night on TNT and averaged slightly over 300,000 viewers.

Napheesa Collier
Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

Unrivaled, the new 3-on-3 women’s basketball league, is off to a modest start with its television audience.

The two games on opening night averaged 313,000 and 311,000 viewers across TNT and truTV, respectively. Viewership peaked with 364,000 viewers from 8:15–8:30 p.m. ET. It was the most-watched women’s basketball game on TNT, the network said. Every Unrivaled game also streams on Max, but those numbers aren’t included in the viewership totals.

The numbers are far below what the WNBA registered in 2024, with an average of 1.19 million viewers on ESPN in the regular season. But much of last season’s viewership boom can be attributed to Caitlin Clark, whose Indiana Fever played in a large majority of the most-viewed games. The year before Clark joined the WNBA, it averaged 505,000 viewers on ABC, ESPN, and CBS in the 2023 regular season.

Unrivaled executives set expectations out of the gate.

“We don’t expect to go get the same numbers the WNBA does,” league president Alex Bazzell told Front Office Sports the week before the first game. “We’re just trying to deliver a great product, which I know we can do.”

Unrivaled began its first season Friday night airing on TNT. Coverage continued Saturday afternoon on truTV, and opening weekend wrapped Monday night back on TNT. The league avoided major NBA matchups Friday and just in time for the NFL on Saturday, but went up against the College Football Playoff national championship Monday evening.

The first Friday night matchup was particularly intense and fast-paced on top of the intrigue it already received for being the league’s first-ever game. The fourth quarter, which has a set score instead of time limit, featured a comeback and game-winning three-pointer by the Lunar Owls.

Perhaps the most fair comparison for Unrivaled is the first season of the WNBA airing on Ion. Both have tried to make appointment viewing on Friday nights. During the 2023 season—its first as a WNBA partner—Ion averaged about 288,000 viewers. That number rose to 670,000 average viewers in 2024 when Clark entered the league.

Unrivaled made an aggressive play to woo Clark ahead of its South Florida debut, but she eventually declined their seven-figure offer.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

MLB Extends Leaves of Clase, Ortiz as Betting Probe Continues

Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz were put on paid non-disciplinary through Aug. 31; now their leaves have been extended “until further notice.”
Aug 6, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Son Heung-min poses during an LAFC introductory press conference at BMO Stadium

Son Heung-Min Effect Will Hit Big for MLS and L.A.

With a record signing, the South Korean supernova has landed at LAFC.

4 of 10 Highest-Paid CFB Coaches Lose in Week 1

Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer was the biggest surprise of the Week 1 losers.
Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jeremiah Smith (4) celebrates with offensive lineman Donovan Jackson (74) after a touchdown catch against Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the first quarter during the College Football Playoff National Championship at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on January 20, 2025.

The Most Expensive Roster Year in College Football History

The House settlement created revenue-sharing—and a big NIL loophole.

Featured Today

‘You’re Going to Get Beat Up’: The Liberty’s All-Male Practice Squad

A select group suits up weekly to take on the defending champs.
August 24, 2025

The Honey Deuce Effect: How Tennis Perfected the Signature Cocktail

Sold every 1.5 seconds, they total more than $12 million in sales.
Dec 21, 2024; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) warms up as the Texas Longhorns prepare to play the Clemson Tigers in the first round of the College Football Playoffs at Darrell K Royal Texas Memorial Stadium.
August 23, 2025

Schools Are Hesitant to Allow PE Into Their Athletic Departments

Regardless of budget, schools don’t believe the risk is worth the reward.
Oct 2, 2024; Rosemont, IL, USA; Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti speaks with the media during the 2024 Big Ten Women’s Basketball media day at Donald E. Stephens Convention Center.
August 22, 2025

‘Not Ready to Jump In’: Power 4 Commissioners Aren’t Sold on PE

Top leaders in college sports have yet to see a satisfactory proposal.

NFL Preseason Sees 17% Jump in TV Ratings, Best Since 2018

Average audiences for the exhibition games increase sharply from last year.
ESPN
August 27, 2025

Disney Sues Sling TV Over $5 Day Passes Granting ESPN Access

Newly introduced short-term subscriptions spark a legal challenge.
Tom Brady
August 27, 2025

NFL Continues to Loosen Tom Brady Restrictions

Brady will be able to attend production meetings–remotely–this season.
Sponsored

Gareth Bale on MLS vs EPL, Retirement & Buying Cardiff City

Gareth Bale shares his post-soccer business playbook.
August 27, 2025

FCC Chair Joins Fox–YouTube TV Fight With Big Game on the Line

The Trump appointee is now involved in another media carriage fight.
Aug 24, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Tommy Fleetwood holds the FedExCup Trophy on the 18th green after winning the TOUR Championship golf tournament.
August 26, 2025

PGA Tour TV Ratings: Fleetwood’s Breakthrough Caps Playoff Surge

Sunday’s final round drew nearly 4.5 million viewers on NBC.
August 26, 2025

NFL Sunday Ticket Debuts Monthly Plan—but at a Steep Cost

Previously, fans had to purchase the service for the entire season.
August 21, 2025

Fox Enters Streaming Wars With Leaner, Sports-Heavy Approach

A different strategy marks the arrival of the network’s streaming service.