1 seeded Las Vegas Aces and WNBA All-Stars Aja Wilson and Kelsey Plum on ESPN at 10 p.m. Just two weeks later and five games in, WNBA ratings climbed even higher to 74% year over year growth. ESPN said the 2021 WNBA Finals between the Chicago Sky and Phoenix Mercury attracted an average of 548,000 viewers throughout four games. St. Louis was out shot by a total of 25-23 and went 2-3 on the power play in the win. The four-round WNBA postseason features the eight teams with the best regular-season records. It then followed up the news by announcing prior to the start of the season that U.S. Bank would become the newest member of the WNBA Changemakers, the leagues collective of purpose-driven companies that harness their power to elevate women in sports and support the leagues mission around advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion. Get full access to all features within our Business Solutions. The network said Game 3 was the most-watched, with an average of 524,000 viewers. Through 17 games (ABC, ESPN, ESPN2), the 2021 WNBA Playoffs averaged 367,000 viewers, 63 percent higher than the entire 2020 postseason (226,000 average viewers) and 42 percent higher than 2019 (258,000 average viewers). May 26, 2022. News Archive; Media Central; Game Notes; 2022-23 Dream Overseas Updates; 2023 Schedule Release; Team Store. The league started the 25thseason by introducing its new official game ball by Wilson Sporting Goods through a new multiyear global partnership. Washington Nationals vs Houston Astros was the most-watched MLB game of the 2019 season. The NBA has 30 teams, the WNBA 12. It seems preposterous now, but only 50 years ago womens high school sports largely did not exist. Chart. Strong Regular Season Growth PALMETTO, FLORIDA - OCTOBER 06: The Seattle Storm celebrates after defeating the Las Vegas Aces [+] 92-59 in Game 3 of the WNBA Finals to win the Championship at Feld Entertainment Center on October 06, 2020 in Palmetto, Florida. Diana Taurasi is called the Michael Jordan of the WNBA. Ever heard of her? 1 Connecticut Sun and the No. Dont let WNBA stories go untold. The premiere episode of Not Dead Yet had about 7.6 million viewers and a 1.76 rating among the 18-49 demographic in the seven days after its premiere on across linear and digital platforms. WNBA Stats and History Statistics, scores, and history for the Women's National Basketball Association. No, the NBA won't get axed. That parts crazy to me. Phoenix Mercury guard Diana Taurasi (3) shoots between Minnesota Lynx forwards Damiris Dantas (12) and Napheesa Collier (24) during an WNBA playoff basketball game on Thursday, Sept. 17, 2020, in Bradenton, Fla. WNBA players have contended for some time that their pay is unfair, that they deserve something closer to what their male counterparts in the NBA are paid. For the 2021 season, the WNBA's combined viewership averaged 306,000 viewers. U.S. Bank joined the leagues growing lineup of WNBA Changemakers, which include AT&T, Deloitte, Nike, and Google. Game 2 (Oct. 13, ESPN) became the most-viewed Game 2 since 2003 and the most-viewed Finals game since 2017s Game 5. I cover women's sports and the intersection of sports & society. The WNBA has also made room for males who share their vision. Yet that unfortunately was the same night the Clippers lost Game 7 to the underdog Denver Nuggets on ESPN, which earned 5.2 million viewers, a very strong number for the NBA pre-conference finals, Lewis said. In addition, DICKS Sporting Goods became the largest national retailer for WNBA merchandise, and Buzzer began featuring live content and WNBA League Pass games on its mobile platform in the companys first foray into womens professional sports. Show publisher information TheSeattle Stormled the league in team merchandise sold. Accessed March 05, 2023. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1108312/women-national-basketball-association-interest-gender/, Morning Consult. According to WNBA statistics, 75 percent of the fans in attendance at a WNBA game are female. The best of the best: the portal for top lists & rankings: Strategy and business building for the data-driven economy: Industry-specific and extensively researched technical data (partially from exclusive partnerships). It fell by 35% in the key 18-48 demographic. Got a confidential news tip? The MLB World Series averaged 13.91 million viewers nationally, down 1.3% from last year. In 2021, there have been 24 telecasts, compared to 37 broadcasts in 2020 and 16 in 2019. ESPN added 13 games to their 2020 broadcast slate after their opening weekend broadcast was up 20% year-over-year. Click the logo and sign up for access to the ESPN Images Library. The drop of new jerseys alone yielded over 69 million impressions on drop day. Los Angeles is the driving force behind MLB ratings this October, so the Dodgers advancing would. So today, well take break down the leagues growth. Regardless, the inevitable "Steenerico" reunion to take down The Bloodline . The 2021 Finals are the most viewed since the 2017 Finals between the LA Sparks and the Minnesota Lynx, which registered 563,000 viewers. They did that during the NBC days. More people tuned into the biggest WNBA games this year, even with many more options than usual. It feels like it's growing at a point, Felicien said. Dont just show up for the big moments because WNBA fans and their athletes know this. The playoffs were the most-watched since 2014. [12] Kena Krutsinger | National Basketball Association | Getty Images, What it takes to become an Olympic gold medalist. 3 Minnesota Lynx and the No. ", SportsPro, Average TV viewers of the WNBA regular season from 2016 to 2022 (in 1,000s) Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1236723/wnba-regular-season-viewers/ (last visited March 05, 2023), Average TV viewers of the WNBA regular season from 2016 to 2022 (in 1,000s) [Graph], SportsPro, September 21, 2022. How do you get that bias out of that valuation model? Thats where the WNBA finds itself in its search for an identity (and higher pay) on the American sports scene. 4), and the Chicago Sky (No. Statista. 2021 was also home to the most-viewed regular season game since 2012, when the Seattle Storm faced the Chicago Sky on August 15 on ABC, averaging 755,000 viewers. There have been ups and downs along the way, including a worldwide pandemic the league is still navigating this season. To use individual functions (e.g., mark statistics as favourites, set The NBAs average ticket price is variously reported at between $51 to $89; the WNBAs $17. The NBA's average attendance is 17,760, the WNBA's 6,535. statistic alerts) please log in with your personal account. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Profit from the additional features of your individual account. (May 26, 2022). More people. And the 2019 finals featuring the Connecticut Sun and Washington Mystics averaged 386,000 viewers and lasted five games. The highest average was the Phoenix Mercury with 5,849 and the lowest was the Los Angeles Sparks with 1,144. If you are an admin, please authenticate by logging in again. The first round will be the best-of-three, while the semifinals and Finals will be best-of-five series. Viewership increased 23% from last year's three-game sweep (Storm-Aces: 444K) and up 43% from the five-game Mystics-Sun series in 2019 (381K). The WNBA fails to generate even one percent of the NBA's $8-$9 billion in revenue. Global Business and Financial News, Stock Quotes, and Market Data and Analysis. And though the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics did not [] The three-game series averaged 848,000 viewers. Strauss adds the league's local viewership, too, has sharply declined. The third and fourth seeds the No. AT&T WNBA 2022 All-Star Game became the most viewed All-Star Game in 6 years, averaging 734,000 viewers, up 53 percent over last years event. Please do not hesitate to contact me. Kelsey Plum, a star player in the WNBA (ever heard of her? For the first time in league history, the WNBA used in-game wearables by KINEXON and optical tracking technology by Hawk-Eye to generate 3D immersive highlights, which were used in real time during Prime Videos broadcast of the inaugural WNBA Commissioners Cup Championship Game. The game took place on a weekday on ESPN (rather than ESPN2) and had no football or NBA competition. That means they have an opportunity to keep growing, and are popular online where those fans who do not tune in live. In particular, the deciding Game 3 of the Finals fit perfectly the formula that Lewis has observed tends to serve up the best ratings for the league. Sue Bird(No. The late 90s and early 2000s had some of the highest regular season game best attendance averages to date. Profit from the additional features of your individual account. The womens league now has a commissioner, Cathy Engelbert. Said Lewis: We all know the WNBAs numbers still dont compare, but when youre talking about a period of time when every sport is still having trouble in the ratings and you can say not only that your numbers were up but that they were up double digits, thats a pretty decent story for them.. The St. Louis Blues are 27-29-5 this season after they defeated the San Jose Sharks by a score of 6-3 in their last game. Most-Viewed Postseason Since 2014 You may opt-out by. You can only download this statistic as a Premium user. And the 2021 WNBA Finals winners, the Chicago Sky, sold more merchandise on Fanatics since their WNBA title win over just two days than any other prior WNBA champ has sold in the first 30 days following a title victory. For the first time in league history, the WNBA used in-game wearables by KINEXON and optical tracking technology by Hawk-Eye to generate 3D immersive highlights, which were used in real time during Prime Videos broadcast of the inaugural WNBA Commissioners Cup Championship Game. WNBA Moments on Top Shot gave fans the ability to own dynamic in-game moments from WNBA players and legends. The NBAs average attendance is 17,760, the WNBAs 6,535. 3),Aja Wilson(No. According to ESPN, the 2021 WNBA Finals were the most-viewed since 2017, with an average of 548,000 viewers across ESPN networks and ABC. ET. The NBAs annual revenues are $7.92 billion, the WNBAs $60 million which would not even cover the combined salaries of NBA players Kevin Love and Damian Lillard. Sunday's Game 1 of the ALCS on TBS drew 2.07 million viewers. Also, the viewership on ESPN and ESPN2 increased 11% from 202,000 views last season to 224,000. Team Stats. Across 17 games, the 2021 playoffs averaged 367,000 viewers, 63 per cent higher than the entire 2020 postseason (226,000 average viewers) and 42 per cent higher than 2019 (258,000 average. The campaign generated 9 million impressions on the leagues owned social media accounts alone, according to data provided to me by the social media data firm Zoomph. The Women's National Basketball Association concluded its 25th anniversary season with another positive sign for viewership for its championship series. WNBA Draft 2022 presented by State Farm averaged 403,000 viewers on ESPN, up 20 percent over last year, making it the most watched WNBA Draft since 2004. For a league that is still focused on growth and evening the playing field, the virtual pandemic season still produced reason for optimism. Will the recent increase in viewership and engagement provide the necessary proof of concept needed to propel the WNBA to the next level? 5) followed Sabrina on the list of top five most popular jerseys. The increase in WNBA viewership coincides with the most-ever league games on national television. ", Morning Consult, Level of interest in WNBA in the United States as of May 2022, by gender Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1108312/women-national-basketball-association-interest-gender/ (last visited March 05, 2023), Level of interest in WNBA in the United States as of May 2022, by gender [Graph], Morning Consult, May 26, 2022. statistic alerts) please log in with your personal account. NEW YORK, Aug. 17, 2022 The WNBA finished the 2022 regular season delivering its most-watched regular season in 14 years. James Pitaro, Chairman, ESPN and Sports Content, WNBA Free Agency Special Set for ESPN2 on Wednesday, Feb. 1. As a Premium user you get access to the detailed source references and background information about this statistic. ", Regular season attendance WNBA games 2022. Who is new Runnin Ute Keba Keita and how is Utahs 2022-23 roster shaping up? Level of interest in WNBA in the United States as of May 2022, by gender [Graph]. Well, either way, its a tough sell for a league that cant turn a profit and survives on handouts from the NBA. And Game 2 of that series averaged 1.2 million viewers on ABC. The 2022 WNBA Playoffs presented by Google tips off on Wednesday, Aug. 17, when the No. And I think thats definitely achievable. she continued. Subscribe to get the latest articles first. Womens tennis is as popular or more popular than the mens game, and womens gymnastics is much more popular than the mens sport. July's All-Star Game averaged 734,000 viewers, a 53% increase.. You're joking. Average TV viewers of the WNBA regular season from 2016 to 2022 (in 1,000s) [Graph]. Statistics; Advanced Stats; Standings; News. Wedneday, March 1st In today's episode we talk about: Discord coming soon! . The ratings ultimately came around to back this up as well, as the star-laden Finals showed a 15 percent uptick in viewership over 2019 even in a fairly dominant Seattle Storm sweep over Wilsons Las Vegas Aces. The showdown between UConn and Baylor in the Elite Eight round was the most-watched NCAA Tournament game in 10 years, excluding Final Four matchups. It is the most-watched comedy debut on ABC in nearly four years. It was the first WNBA game post All-Star Game and Olympic break airing in the afternoon on ABC. [Online]. WNBA NBA NBA G League NBA 2K League. Which was a drop of 16% on the previous year. Take the Orange Hoodie campaign in which the league partnered with ESPN and athletes across sport to push its signature orange logo hoodie, sold by Fanatics, as well as general excitement in the lead-up to its opening weekend in late July. The 2023 World Baseball Classic, the first since 2017, will get underway on Tuesday, March 7. WNBA DELIVERS MOST-WATCHED REGULAR SEASON SINCE 2008 Monday's Game 2 of the ALCS drew 1.88 million . In addition, the league teamed up with Dapper Labs, the company behind NBA Top Shot and the Flow blockchain, to launch WNBA Moments on Top Shot, giving fans the ability to own dynamic in-game moments from WNBA players and legends. ESPN is making it easy to watch the Draft, Bria Felicien, the creator of The Black Sportswoman, said. Create your account and get enhanced access to all the latest stories. The WNBAs Covid-disrupted 2020 regular season averaged 205,000 viewers across ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC, a drop of 16 per cent on the previous year. The WNBA is an American professional women's basketball league established in 1996 and owned by the NBA. The Pac-12 and SEC commissioners will be bringing NIL issues to lawmakers, High school girls golf: 3A region recaps, Richfield, Morgan, Union and Judge Memorial claim region titles, High school boys soccer: 3A/2A second round recap from Wednesdays games, It reportedly wont be long until the Mountain West Conference eliminates divisions, Change may be on the way for the transfer portal and college football recruiting. Enjoying SportsPro content? The WNBA noted its viewership is up 51% when compared to the 2020 regular season. The league reported 387,000 average viewers last year, up 123 percent from 2019. August 17, 2022, League Sets Social, Digital and Merchandising Records , In Their Final Seasons, Sylvia Fowles First Player to Record 4,000 Rebounds in a Career; Sue Bird Records 1,000 Three-Pointers Made , The 2022 WNBA Playoffs Presented by Google Tips Off Wednesday, Aug. 17. The regular season takes place in summer from May to August and the play-offs in. Over the whole season, they didnt get a single situation where they were leading into the NBA or the NBA was leading into them. I would imagine a majority of people who watch the WNBA are people who watch the NBA, so its going to be a very difficult thing to build an audience when, even if you like (both leagues) equally, youre stepping on a Game 7 and thats going to take precedence, Lewis added. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images), Ackerman, right, after the Mercury chose her as the No. Atlanta Dream Team Store; . What percentage of WNBA viewers are female? WNBA games haven't averaged 8,000 fans per game since 2009, and the 2017 figure was down 28.9 percent from the league's all-time high attendance in 1998, which was the WNBA's second season. The 2019 NBA Finals had 27% fewer viewers this year, compared to last year (17.85M to 10.4M). If you are an admin, please authenticate by logging in again. This will also be the first time since 2015 the tournament has been played outside Indianapolis, making its inaugural appearance in Minneapolis at the Target Center, home of the four-time WNBA champion Minnesota Lynx and the NBA's Minnesota Timberwolves. Overview and forecasts on trending topics, Industry and market insights and forecasts, Key figures and rankings about companies and products, Consumer and brand insights and preferences in various industries, Detailed information about political and social topics, All key figures about countries and regions, Market forecast and expert KPIs for 600+ segments in 150+ countries, Insights on consumer attitudes and behavior worldwide, Business information on 60m+ public and private companies, Detailed information for 35,000+ online stores and marketplaces. Interest in womens basketball is on the rise. The league also reached several milestones including new sponsors, merchandise, distribution, and technology. Baseball viewership statistics were down 20% from the 2014-15 season. The WNBA Playoffs will feature a maximum of 27 games, all available across ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, the ESPN App and NBA TV. to incorporate the statistic into your presentation at any time. 5 seeded Washington Mystics and the 2022 WNBA leader in assists Natasha Cloud meet the fourth seeded Seattle Storm and the leagues leader in scoring Breanna Stewart on ESPN2 at 10 p.m. As soon as this statistic is updated, you will immediately be notified via e-mail. There was just more interest because everything has been more available, starting with the college games. That is a 49% increase compared to 2020 and 24% increase to 2019. Under the CBA, base salaries increase to $130,000 and the leagues elite players can earn upward of $500,000. The BarDown Podcast. An NBA Draft . That year, the minimum regular season attendance was on a Wednesday, with, The Miami Sols best highest attended regular season game was July 17, 2002 against the Sacramento Monarchs, with. You need at least a Starter Account to use this feature. However, the average viewership for the finals increased 15 per cent to 440,000. It was the most watched Finals series since 2017. Here is the average WNBA attendance by team for the 2021 regular season: Total WNBA attendance by team in 2021 was led by the Phoenix Mercury with 93,585 fans. Furthermore, the 2021 NCAA Womens Final Four pulled some of itshighest viewership numbersever. ESPN said the WNBA league attracted 417,000 total viewers for Game 4 of the WNBA Finals on Sunday between the Chicago Sky and Phoenix Mercury. It has taken decades to overcome such backward thinking, and the womens games have been playing catch-up ever since. The Christmas Day lineup netted a 10% increase in viewership, with the Dallas Mavericks and Lakers contest averaging 7.01 million viewers. As a media company, I would align with the WNBAs fan culture on social, Scott said. Former Baylor guard and current New York Liberty draft pick DiDi Richards has a projected sponsorship value of $254 thousand based on her social media impressions calculated by Zoomph. As for the WNBA post-season, it was the most viewed since 2014. 1 June 2021 Sam Carp News SHARE THIS ARTICLE. This season represented the first time the Sky were represented in the top team merchandise rankings since 2016 thats the Candace Parker effect! As a Premium user you get access to the detailed source references and background information about this statistic. Nobody wants to acknowledge that some sports translate better than others for both men and women, for whatever reason. The NBA and WNBA have little in common, other than they play the same sport. Every WNBA Player. You need a Statista Account for unlimited access. The athletes are your vehicles to their fans, if you can get the league and their athletes to retweet, reshare, comment or like your content, their fans will follow suit.. At the same time, the leagues digital footprint tells a slightly different story. Please create an employee account to be able to mark statistics as favorites. Englebert reported the average viewership of games rose 68% this season, crediting that largely to a substantial increase in games on the ESPN Network as well as the league's debut on the CBS. The Washington Capitals are averaging 3.02 goals per game, 2.97 goals against per game, 20.9% on the power play, and 82.4% on the penalty kill. The workplace benefits historically marginalized groups enjoy from unionization are well-documented. Back in 2020, the WNBA and the Womens National Basketball Players Association signed a landmark collective bargaining agreement. Which leads us here: The average NBA salary is about $7.5 million; according to the league, the average WNBA salary in 2019 was reportedly about $116,000, but a new collective bargaining agreement which runs from 2020 to 2027 provides a 53% pay increase, plus maternity leave at full salary, $5,000 for child care, and as much as $60,000 for adoption, surrogacy, egg freezing and fertility treatments. Meanwhile, across Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and TikTok,the WNBA set records for social media engagement with 135 million video views and 14.5 million actions. The WNBA averaged 413,000 viewers in that year. IN HISTORIC 25TH SEASON, League Sets Records for Merchandise Sales Online and Social Media Engagement . In addition to ESPN, this years WNBA games are being broadcast on Amazon Prime Video for the first time. ESPN also. Early signs indicate the WNBA Draft Class of 2021 might have an excellent chance to parlay solid NCAA ratings not only into WNBA viewers but also lucrative sponsorships. We've been waiting for this kind of recognition for so many years. most-watched NCAA Tournament game in 10 years, WNBA Viewership & Ratings Growing In 2021, Fans prefer to attend Seattle Storm games on, During the WNBAs first season, the Phoenix Mercury had the highest a, In 2008 the Detroit Shock were the WNBA Champions.