ESPN networks have wrapped up a record-breaking year for the WNBA, delivering the most-watched regular season and postseason ever across ABC, ESPN, and ESPN2, according to Nielsen Big Data + Panel.
The 2025 season underscored the league’s continued growth and ESPN’s expanding commitment to women’s sports. Across 25 regular-season games, WNBA telecasts on ESPN platforms averaged 1.3 million viewers — a 6% increase from last year and the network’s highest regular-season average on record.
That momentum carried into the postseason, where 24 games averaged 1.2 million viewers, up 5% year-over-year. The network said this year’s playoff performance marked its most-watched WNBA postseason to date and the most-viewed across all networks since 1999, when the league drew a similar 1.3 million average audience.
The WNBA Finals Presented by YouTube TV continued the surge. Airing across ABC and ESPN, the four-game championship series averaged 1.5 million viewers, ranking as the second most-watched WNBA Finals ever on ESPN networks — trailing only 2024. Game 1 between the Phoenix Mercury and Las Vegas Aces set a particularly high bar, averaging 1.9 million viewers to become the most-watched WNBA Finals opener in 28 years.
After combining the regular season and postseason, ESPN reported that the full 2025 WNBA season averaged 1.2 million viewers over 49 telecasts, a 5% increase from last year and the highest full-season average in network history.
Beyond game action, ESPN’s studio programming also drew strong engagement throughout the postseason. WNBA Countdown Presented by Google averaged 437,000 viewers across 13 episodes — a 30% jump compared to 2024.
Meanwhile, ESPN’s digital shoulder content showed significant growth on YouTube. Hoop Streams and The Wrap-Up combined for 900,000 total views, up 60% year-over-year, with total watch hours soaring 110% to 135,000 across eight episodes from September 12 to October 12. Video-on-demand clips added another 2 million views, representing a 28% increase.
The record-breaking season reflects both ESPN’s strategic investment in the WNBA and a wider shift in sports consumption. With the league adding stars, storylines, and deeper postseason intrigue, fan engagement has reached historic levels across both television and streaming platforms.
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