Game 1 of the WNBA Finals drew an average of 2.1 million viewers on NBC and Peacock. That makes it the most-watched Finals opener in league history.
What We Know: Golden State beat Atlanta 68-64 on Saturday, October 17, behind 26 points from Gabby Williams. Meanwhile, the audience peaked at 3.0 million viewers during the final stretch, from 5:45 to 5:55 p.m. ET. Overall, the opener jumped 11% compared to last year’s Game 1. For historical context, the 1997 winner-take-all title game averaged 2.85 million viewers on NBC.
What The Data Shows: Top Markets In Viewership (per NBC Sports PR):
| Market | Rating |
|---|---|
| San Francisco | 4.49 |
| New Orleans | 3.04 |
| Richmond | 2.12 |
| Hartford-New Haven | 2.07 |
| San Antonio | 2.06 |
| Atlanta | 2.02 |
What Remains Unclear: To be fair, the 1997 game remains an imperfect benchmark, since the league used a single championship game that year. As a result, its 2.85 million average doesn’t compare directly to a series opener. It’s also unclear whether later games will hold this pace.
What It Means: Clearly, NBC Sports’ return to the WNBA is paying off. The network averaged 1.8 million viewers across seven regular-season games, up 35% from comparable coverage last season. Furthermore, its Semifinals Game 1 between the Valkyries and Aces drew 1.12 million viewers, the third-most ever for that round. Ultimately, NBC’s first Finals game since 2002 delivered a record start.
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