• Loading stock data...
Friday, October 17, 2025

WNBA Achieves Viewership It Hasn’t Had in Two Decades

  • The WNBA recorded its most-watched playoffs in 20 years.
  • Games had an average of 439,000 viewers.
WNBA
Lucas Peltier-USA TODAY Sports

The WNBA announced last month that it delivered the most-watched regular season in 14 years, but that’s not this season’s only milestone.

The league recorded its most-watched playoffs in 20 years with an average of 439,000 viewers through 19 games on ESPN.

  • The semifinals, which featured the Seattle Storm against the Las Vegas Aces and the Chicago Sky against the Connecticut Sun, averaged 488,000 viewers — the highest since 2010.
  • The most-watched playoff matchup was Game 3 between the Aces and Storm on ABC, which drew an average 905,000 viewers and peaked at 1.4 million.

The regular season brought a 16% year-over-year viewership increase

The league’s current broadcasting deal with ESPN ends in 2025 and is worth a reported $25 million annually.

WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert said the next media deal is “probably the most important business issue” she’s focused on and is “optimistic we’ll get something favorable.” 

The league is expanding to 40 games next season and could announce expansion teams by the end of the year. The list of possible expansion cities has been narrowed down to 10.

Engelbert wants to add two teams no later than 2025.

WNBA Wallets

Betting is becoming more popular in the league, too.

“We had a 270% jump in WNBA bet counts this year,” Engelbert said. “More women are betting, and our fan base skews [toward] women, younger, more digital-native.”

Last week, the league renewed its deal with FanDuel. Engelbert said she “would love to have more betting partners.”

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

IndyCar driver Andretti Global's Kyle Kirkwood, left, celebrates winning the Detroit Grand Prix with team co-owner Dan Towriss in Detroit on Sunday, June 1, 2025.

Cadillac F1 CEO Dan Towriss Defends  $700 Million Apple Deal

“We’re going to have a bigger reach than what people think.”
Jon Ledecky

Islanders Owner Warns WNBA Against Labor Strife: ‘No Bueno’

Jon Ledecky drew a stark contrast between the two leagues.
Apr 11, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; A view of an NBA basketball and backyard and NBA logo before the game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Toronto Raptors at the American Airlines Center.

NBA Tries to Solve Fragmentation Issue It Helped Create

A new “Tap to Watch” feature will direct fans to live games.
Jun 15, 2025; Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Second place Red Bull Racing driver Max Verstappen (1) sprays champagne on winner Mercedes driver George Russell (63) at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve.

Apple Officially Taking F1 Rights From ESPN in $700M Deal

ESPN has broadcast F1 in the U.S. since 2018.

Featured Today

May 25, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Derek Jeter walks the red carpet on Sunday, May 25, 2025, ahead of the 109th running of the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway

The Players’ Tribune Is Still Kicking 11 Years Later

Founder Derek Jeter is still closely involved in the publication.
Las Vegas Aces center A'ja Wilson (22) celebrates with her teammates after her last second shot to take the lead 90-88 against the Phoenix Mercury in Game 3 of the WNBA Finals at Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix on Oct. 8, 2025.
exclusive
October 10, 2025

Standoff Over WNBA’s Future Has Dominated Finals

CBA negotiations have stolen the spotlight from the Aces’ dominant performance.
Paul Cartier
October 5, 2025

Sports Organists Are Still Thriving in the Era of Raucous Arena Music

“When they walk out and they see a real organ guy, it’s like, ‘Wow.’”
Sep 27, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers center fielder Jackson Chourio (11) rounds the bases after hitting a home run during the sixth inning against the Cincinnati Reds at American Family Field.
October 4, 2025

Milwaukee Moneyball: Brewers Are Beating MLB’s Deeper Pockets

Milwaukee is holding its own against big-budget competitors.
Mar 12, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; General view of ESPN broadcast camera during a game between the Minnesota Timberwolves and Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena.

ESPN’s New NBA Segment Resists Hot Takes

LeBron James tweeted in favor of the new segment.
Oct 10, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Las Vegas Aces center A'ja Wilson (22) celebrates with teammates after game four of the 2025 WNBA Finals at Mortgage Matchup Center.
October 14, 2025

WNBA Finals Draws 1.5M Viewers, Second-Highest Series on ESPN

The four-game series averaged 1.5 million viewers.
Aug 30, 2025; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Brandon Inniss (1) attempts to make a catch over Texas Longhorns defensive back Graceson Littleton (29) in the first half at Ohio Stadium.
October 16, 2025

SEC Games Help ABC Dominate College Football Ratings at Midseason

Texas–Ohio State on Fox remains the most-watched game of the season.
Sponsored

How Jenny Just Is Shaping the Future of Sports Ownership

Jenny Just on bringing her investment experience to sports ownership.
MLS
October 14, 2025

MLS Publishes Unchecked AI-Generated Game Recaps

Humans are not reviewing the articles for accuracy.
Micah Parsons
exclusive
October 14, 2025

NFL Scorigami Creator Blames Glitches on Twitter Platform Changes

The bot has been glitching all NFL season, and fans have noticed.
Sep 5, 2025; Flushing, NY, USA; Carlos Alcaraz of Spain and Novak Djokovic of Serbia embraces after their match in the semifinal of the men’s singles at the US Open at Arthur Ashe Stadium in Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.
October 13, 2025

Six Kings Slam Returns With Record $6M Prize, Netflix Deal

The Six Kings Slam is held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Mar 5, 2023; Dallas, Texas, USA; A view of the NBA logo and NBA app logo and basketballs in front of the base during warms up before the game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Suns at the American Airlines Center.
October 13, 2025

NBA Will Take Over League Pass After WBD Divorce

The league now has full operational control of those media assets.