The WNBA and ESPN are celebrating a record-breaking postseason. ESPN’s playoff coverage is the most-watched in league history through the semifinals.
What We Know: ESPN networks averaged 1.4 million viewers across eight games through the semifinals, up 23% from last year. Meanwhile, the network reported that viewership among P2-17 and P18-49 rose 41%. The surge follows ESPN’s most-watched WNBA regular season ever, marking the third straight year of records. Across 29 games, ESPN networks averaged 1.37M viewers, up 17%, and five games topped 2M. Specifically, ESPN averaged 1.24M viewers across 17 games, up 32%, while ABC pulled 1.56M across 12 games, up 9%. Younger audiences grew, too, with P2-17 up 29% and P18-24 up 27%. The league is celebrating its 30th season.
What The Data Says: (All information via ESPN PR)
| Metric | Viewers (Average) | Games | Change vs. Last Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| WNBA Semifinals (All ESPN Networks) | 1.4M | 8 | +23% |
| WNBA Regular Season (All ESPN Networks) | 1.37M | 29 | +17% |
| ESPN Specific | 1.24M | 17 | +32% |
| ABC Specific | 1.56M | 12 | +9% |
| 2M+ Viewership | — | 5 | — |
What Remains Unclear: ESPN hasn’t released WNBA Finals numbers, so it’s uncertain whether the record pace will hold. Streaming and linear viewing also aren’t broken out, which makes it tough to know where the new viewers came from.
What It Means: Women’s basketball keeps gaining mainstream momentum. In turn, growing viewership strengthens the WNBA’s negotiating power with broadcasters and streaming platforms and attracts more sponsors and advertisers. With games topping 2 million viewers the league is proving it can deliver large audiences.
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. Sign up for our newsletters to stay updated and get the latest information right in your inbox.
