WNBA opening night viewership up 103% year-over-year
The WNBA is 26 years old and thriving in viewership. The WNBA draft was televised on ESPN and watched by more than 500,000 people. It was the most viewed draft since 2004 as viewership was up 42% year-over-year. And now, during the regular season, the viewers are tuning in again.
ESPN’s broadcast of the Phoenix Mercury versus the Los Angeles Sparks was the most-viewed WNBA regular season game on cable in 24 years and the most-viewed WNBA opening night game on ESPN platforms in 11 years. The game was broadcast at 11:00 p.m. ET, which shows the potential for more primetime slots and increased viewership. Despite the late start time, the average viewership was 683,000 with a peak at one million, boasted by Brittney Griner’s return to the WNBA.
ESPN recorded its most-viewed regular season #WNBA game on cable in 24 years!
🏀 Brittney Griner's @PhoenixMercury return against the @LASparks was the most-viewed Opening Day on ESPN platforms in 11 years
🏀 683K avg. viewers, audience peak 1M
🏀 Up 103% year-over-year pic.twitter.com/CRNi5nADXK— ESPN PR (@ESPNPR) May 22, 2023
Attendance at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California, was 10,396 and had many notable people in attendance, including Magic Johnson, Pau Gasol, Byron Scott, Robert Horry, Billie Jean King, Los Angeles Lakers coach Darvin Ham and vice president of the United States Kamala Harris.
This marks a 103% increase year-over-year in opening night viewership for the WNBA. The WNBA’s deal with ESPN is up for renewal in 2025 and the increased viewership should indicate an increased price to broadcast WNBA games, which would mean more money for the league and the players.
“The whole media landscape is being very disrupted, and I’m watching that very carefully as we think about our next media rights deal,” WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert told Front Office Sports. “I’m excited, quite frankly, to take a look at this and the way our media rights are valued.”
