wnba viewership statistics wnba viewership statistics

Because it's time., This is a BETA experience. NEW YORK, Sept. 24, 2021 The WNBA capped off its historic 25th regular season by delivering its most-watched season since 2008 for its television partners ABC, CBS, ESPN and ESPN2 with viewership up 51% over the 2020 season, and by setting records for merchandise sales online and engagement across its social media platforms. 1 June 2021 Sam Carp News SHARE THIS ARTICLE. ", 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. Are you interested in testing our business solutions? The WNBA Playoffs will feature a maximum of 19 games, all available across ABC, ESPN, ESPN2 and the ESPN App. . Interest in womens basketball is on the rise. Overall, the 2014 playoffs averaged a 0.3 rating and 489,000 viewers on the ESPN networks, up from 0.2 and 272,000 in 2013. The ideal entry-level account for individual users. Later in the season, the league also delivered its most-watched regular-season game since 2012, with ABC averaging 755,000 viewers for a matchup between the Seattle Storm and Chicago Sky on Aug. 15. Register in seconds and access exclusive features. Connecticut's Diana Taurasi, left, is presented with a Phoenix Mercury jersey by WNBA President Val [+] Ackerman, right, after the Mercury chose her as the No. According to Burack, who also cited Nielsen data, TNT's slate of NBA games declined by 19 percent compared to 2019 (from 1.5 million to 1.2 million viewers per game) while ESPN's offerings . Each of Wilson, Stewart and Bird generated more than $600,000 in social value this season, in large part because they were some of the most active athletes on the platform when it came to sharing content from other brands and personalities. The 2023 World Baseball Classic, the first since 2017, will get underway on Tuesday, March 7. G Games Played. We want to hear from you. 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 BarDown podcast will investigate, uncover and explore long-form stories at the intersection of sports . The drop of the new jerseys yielded over 69 million impressions on drop day. Washington Nationals vs Houston Astros was the most-watched MLB game of the 2019 season. There was just more interest because everything has been more available, starting with the college games. Back in 2020, the WNBA and the Womens National Basketball Players Association signed a landmark collective bargaining agreement. Lets first take a look at the last two WNBA Drafts. Directly accessible data for 170 industries from 50 countries and over 1 million facts: Get quick analyses with our professional research service. New York Liberty (No. To use individual functions (e.g., mark statistics as favourites, set 3 Minnesota Lynx and the No. In terms of how team attendance was trending prior to the pandemic, the Chicago Sky, Dallas Wings, and Los Angeles Sparks had regular season attendance averages that were trending up over the previous three years (2017, 2018, 2019). Few basketball fans were tuned in to see Peddys shot. It fell by 35% in the key 18-48 demographic. #WNBA viewership continues to rise 2021 #WNBAFinals | Most-viewed Finals since 2017 with 548,000 average viewers The WNBA Semifinals and the WNBA Finals 2021 presented by YouTube TV are a best-of-five series. The NBA's average ticket price is variously reported at between $51 to $89; the WNBA's $17. 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. Twenty-five years ago, the National Basketball Association Board of Directors approved the Womens National Basketball Association. I was beginning to question how the Las Vegas Aces could even afford the roster they currently have: 2022 All-WNBA First-Team and WNBA All-Star MVP Kelsey Plum, 2022 WNBA Champion and Finals MVP Chelsea Gray, 2020/2022 WNBA MVP and 2022 Defensive Player of the Year A'ja Wilson and, oh yeah, now Candace Parker, too. According to WNBA statistics, 75 percent of the fans in attendance at a WNBA game are female. It was the most watched Finals series since 2017. Directly accessible data for 170 industries from 50 countries and over 1 million facts: Get quick analyses with our professional research service. ET. 5) followed Sabrina on the list of top five most popular jerseys. The latest figures continue a positive start to the season for the WNBA, which saw record ratings in Canada during its opening weekend, including a 325 per cent increase in average viewership. 1 seeded Las Vegas Aces and WNBA All-Stars Aja Wilson and Kelsey Plum on ESPN at 10 p.m. Thats where the WNBA finds itself in its search for an identity (and higher pay) on the American sports scene. The NBA's average attendance is 17,760, the WNBA's 6,535. According to Deadline.com, the New York Knicks and Boston Celtics double-overtime game averaged 1.96 million viewers, topping out at an audience size of 2.87 million late in the game. The womens league now has a commissioner, Cathy Engelbert. Accessed March 05, 2023. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1236723/wnba-regular-season-viewers/, SportsPro. TheSeattle Stormled the league in team merchandise sold. Four players logged seven triple-doubles in the regular season. The NBA has 30 teams, the WNBA 12. Create your account and get enhanced access to all the latest stories. The three-game series averaged 848,000 viewers. To use individual functions (e.g., mark statistics as favourites, set Women's basketball has notched yet another viewership milestone this time at the pro level. Team Stats. NEW YORK, Aug. 17, 2022 The WNBA finished the 2022 regular season delivering its most-watched regular season in 14 years. In 2021, viewership numbers dropped 12% to 331,000 average viewers but still yielded the second-largest viewership since the 2004 Draft (601,000 views). Enjoying SportsPro content? 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). What might be better is a carryover buzz from Womens College Basketball. In the leagues previous 25 seasons, a total of just nine regular-season triple-doubles had been recorded with no more than one in a given season. The leagues fixtures were averaging 357,000 viewers across ABC, ESPN and ESPN2 after the first five games of the current campaign, which is the WNBAs 25th season. Morning Consult. Plus, we discuss some fun attendance facts that might surprise you, and what led to 69 million social media impressions for the league this year. four quarters in both an NBA and WNBA game (each quarter is 12 minutes for the men and 10 minutes for the women). For example, according to 2019 data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, unionized female employees earn 29% more than non-unionized female employees and unionized black employees earn 27% more than non-unionized black employees. 4), and the Chicago Sky (No. The 2014 WNBA finals averaged 659,000 viewers across the ESPN channels, up 91% from the 2013 finals between the Minnesota Lynx and the Atlanta Dream which averaged 345,000. 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. As for the WNBA post-season, it was the most viewed since 2014. Well, either way, its a tough sell for a league that cant turn a profit and survives on handouts from the NBA. You only have access to basic statistics. U.S. Bank joined the leagues growing lineup of WNBA Changemakers, which include AT&T, Deloitte, Nike, and Google. 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. Kelsey Plum, a star player in the WNBA (ever heard of her? The 2021 NBA Playoffs overall (inclusive of Finals) averaged 4.25 million viewers across ABC, ESPN and TNT, up 35% vs. the 2020 postseason. viewership dropped roughly 50 percent . Considering the circumstances, the WNBA will likely come away from its 2020 season content with the way it was able to connect with fans, especially from its Bubble in south Florida. She listed a few more stats that she said she loved, including a record 83.1 points per game and a 30% increase in cross-platform action for social media posts. Numbers were significantly impacted by the pandemic this year, as many teams only allowed severely limited attendance until after the Olympic break. According to ESPN, the audience figure represents a rise of 74 per cent on the average for the entire 2020 season and an increase of 45 per cent compared to the average viewership during the 2019 campaign. Accessed March 05, 2023. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1108312/women-national-basketball-association-interest-gender/, Morning Consult. When fans werent tuned in, they engaged with social content in record numbers. 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. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images), television ratings were down 16 percent in the regular season, organize political and social movements among fans and viewers. Measuring the post-season revenue is a bit difficult, but estimating is assisted by presented viewership numbers. For specifically the WNBA Finals in 2021, the first game of the series (Chicago Sky vs. Phoenix Mercury) peaked with 547,000 viewers, making it the most-viewed opening game of the Finals since 2017. ESPN said the 2021 WNBA Finals between the Chicago Sky and Phoenix Mercury attracted an average of 548,000 viewers throughout four games. ), explains: Im tired of people thinking that (we) players are asking for the same type of money as NBA players we are asking for the same percentage of revenue shared within our CBA. The 2021 Finals are the most viewed since the 2017 Finals between the LA Sparks and the Minnesota Lynx, which registered 563,000 viewers. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images). Sue Bird(No. How about how many people were willing to leave the comfort of their homes and hit the arena? 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. 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. Atlanta Dream Team Store; . 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. The Sky won their first WNBA championship after beating the Mercury 80-74. WNBA; Wrestling; XFL; More Sports . 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. WNBA Viewership of 2020 WNBA Finals up 15 percent from 2019 In a time when many of America's major professional sports leagues are struggling to maintain their usual viewership, the 2020. It seems preposterous now, but only 50 years ago womens high school sports largely did not exist. NBA commissioner Adam Silver reports that the WNBA has lost an average of $10 million every year it has existed, which the NBA subsidizes out of the goodness of its politically correct heart. But not womens basketball college or pro (according to the NCAA, the average attendance for college basketball for the 2018-19 season was 1,625 for Division I women and 5,650 for Division I men). ESPN added 13 games to their 2020 broadcast slate after their opening weekend broadcast was up 20% year-over-year. The WNBA's Covid-disrupted 2020 regular season averaged 205,000 viewers across ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC. I cover the Phoenix Suns as well as the broader NBA and WNBA, PALMETTO, FLORIDA - OCTOBER 02: Breanna Stewart, #30 of the Seattle Storm drives to the basket against A'ja Wilson #22 of the Las Vegas Aces during the first half of Game 1 of the WNBA Finals at Feld Entertainment Center on October 02, 2020 in Palmetto, Florida. Shouldnt the league be able to stand on its own before it offers such rewards? 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. News Archive; Media Central; Game Notes; 2022-23 Dream Overseas Updates; 2023 Schedule Release; Team Store. The 2022 WNBA Playoffs presented by Google tips off on Wednesday, Aug. 17, when the No. ESPN also. For a league that is still focused on growth and evening the playing field, the virtual pandemic season still produced reason for optimism. Overall, WNBA ratings were down, but the Finals between the Las Vegas Aces and the Seattle Storm were up 15% from the 2019 five-game series between the Aces and the Washington Mystics the year prior. "Average TV viewers of the WNBA regular season from 2016 to 2022 (in 1,000s)." [Online]. The Women's National Basketball Association concluded its 25th anniversary season with another positive sign for viewership for its championship series. On the surface, it appears that the women have little argument there is no comparison between NBA and WNBA revenues but first lets understand what WNBA players want. Print Page. Several college stars embarked on their WNBA journey today as all 12 teams officially opened training camp. Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. ET, followed by the eighth seeded Phoenix Mercury and the teams leading rebounder Brianna Turner taking on the No. More people. Black History Month: Emerging Leaders | Renee Montgomery: An Owner with a Players Perspective, WNBA Draft 2023 Presented By State Farm To Be Held On April 10th. The four-game series averaged 548,000 viewers, according to ESPN. "It's so interesting, . The WNBA capped off the season by announcing that WNBA League Pass, the leagues out-of-market regular season live game package that also features highlights and off-the-court content from the 2022 season as well as every archived game since the 2015 season, would now be available through Roku. As soon as this statistic is updated, you will immediately be notified via e-mail. Will the recent increase in viewership and engagement provide the necessary proof of concept needed to propel the WNBA to the next level? Yesterday was a historic day for the @WNBA @nikebasketball released 3new designs for each team and the reveal ERUPTED on social media There were over 17K posts, 646K engagements, and 69 MILLION impressions about the drop Which one is your fave?#WNBA pic.twitter.com/kmj2uNzu0j. 6 seeded Dallas Wings and former Rookie of the Year Allisha Gray travel to Connecticut and 2021 WNBA MVP Jonquel Jones to take on the third seeded Sun on ESPNU and NBA TV at 8 p.m. And I think thats definitely achievable. she continued. The 2022 Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) regular season games were watched by an average of 379 thousand viewers across ESPN, ESPN2, and ABC. The NBA and WNBA have little in common, other than they play the same sport. This represented the league's. Please create an employee account to be able to mark statistics as favorites. By this date in 2019, 15 college football games averaged at least a 3.0 ratings. The WNBA has also made room for males who share their vision. 2 seeded Chicago Sky and the reigning Finals MVP Kahleah Copper begin their defense of the WNBA title at home against the seventh seeded New York Liberty and All-Stars Sabrina Ionescu and Natasha Howard on ESPN2 at 8 p.m. Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. WNBA games averaged 321,000 viewers across ESPN, ESPN2, ABC and CBS during the regular season, up 51% from last year and the league's most-watched season in 13 years. The increase in WNBA viewership coincides with the most-ever league games on national television. It might not be fair, but it is reality. Much has happened since the NBA Board approved the concept of the WNBA. Dont let WNBA stories go untold. The increase in WNBA viewership coincides with the most-ever league games on national television. Discover WNBA viewership by year According to Statista, the average TV viewers of the WNBA regular season in 2016 was 224,000 and grew to 246,000 in 2019. 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). Access to this and all other statistics on 80,000 topics from, Show sources information 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. The WNBA capped off its historic 25thregular season by delivering its most-watched season since 2008 for its television partners ABC, CBS, ESPN and ESPN2 viewershipwas up 51% over the 2020 season. That number was up 18% year over year, according to ESPN, despite the competition. WNBA 2021 commercial guide: Every franchise, every sponsor, all the major TV deals. The WNBA is 50 years behind in building its brand and working out labor issues. And though the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics did not [] 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. The drop of new jerseys alone yielded over 69 million impressions on drop day. Despite being virtual as opposed to broadcast live from Nike Headquarters in New York City they are the two most-viewed WNBA Drafts in nearly 20 years. The WNBAs problem is simple: It doesnt generate the interest or the revenue to support a pay structure anywhere close to what the mens game can offer. No, the NBA won't get axed. Amidst an unprecedented season in the NBA . And average league-wide attendance tends to be heaviest in August each year. The 2023 Big Ten Women's Basketball Tournament presented by TIAA marks the 30th in conference history. LPGA golfers face the same challenge. The WNBA is being searched more on Google in the past 5 years than the prior 15, indicating increased awareness. 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. As a media company, I would align with the WNBAs fan culture on social, Scott said. A hockey podcast that doesn't talk about last night's scores. 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. 92-59 in Game 3 of the WNBA Finals to win the Championship at Feld Entertainment Center on October 06, 2020 in Palmetto, Florida. SportsPro. We've been waiting for this kind of recognition for so many years. Most-Viewed Postseason Since 2014 New York Libertys Sabrina Ionescu became the first WNBA player to eclipse 500 points, 200 rebounds and 200 assists in a single season. 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. I just wanted to reiterate that data point. The sixth-seeded Chicago Sky defeated the seventh-seeded Dallas Wings, 81-64, and the fifth-seeded Phoenix Mercury edged the eighth-seeded New York Liberty, 83-82, to advance to the second round of the playoffs. The workplace benefits historically marginalized groups enjoy from unionization are well-documented. However, the shrinking interest is more than a concern. You can only download this statistic as a Premium user. The MLB World Series averaged 13.91 million viewers nationally, down 1.3% from last year. ET, before the No. The championship game (Oct. 17, ESPN) registered 417,000 viewers and peaked with 623,000 viewers, up 32 percent from 2019s Game 4 between the Connecticut Sun and the Washington Mystics. The first round will be the best-of-three, while the semifinals and Finals will be best-of-five series. Data is a real-time snapshot *Data is delayed at least 15 minutes. Under the CBA, base salaries increase to $130,000 and the leagues elite players can earn upward of $500,000. The WNBA also welcomed Google as its newest WNBA Changemaker, joining AT&T, Deloitte and Nike and the tech company sponsored 25 games on ESPN as part of the partnership. On TNT, in the measurement from 2011-12, NBA viewership is down 40%. Game 1 (Oct. 10, ABC) was the most-viewed opening game of the WNBA Finals since 2017, registering 456,000 viewers and peaking with 547,000. 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. If you buy something from a link on our site, Queen Ballers Club may earn a commission. Baseball viewership statistics were down 20% from the 2014-15 season. In particular, the three stars of this years WNBA Finals Aja Wilson, Breanna Stewart and Sue Bird represented a clear top three in terms of social value, which Zoomph estimates based on the digital engagements and impressions these athletes generate relative to the approximate advertising costs on social media platforms. Subscribe to get the latest articles first. Viewership is up 89% from the 2020 MLB playoffs and there is a 3% spike from the playoffs in 2019. July's All-Star Game averaged 734,000 viewers, a 53% increase.. This season represented the first time the Sky were represented in the top team merchandise rankings since 2016 thats the Candace Parker effect! 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. You need at least a Starter Account to use this feature. Game 2 (Oct. 13, ESPN) became the most-viewed Game 2 since 2003 and the most-viewed Finals game since 2017s Game 5. Then you can access your favorite statistics via the star in the header. The 2019 NBA Finals averaged a little more than 20 million viewers per game; the 2019 WNBA Finals averaged about 400,000 viewers per game. The 2021 WNBA Finals on ESPN networks and ABC - Chicago Sky victory over the Phoenix Mercury - averaged 548,000 viewers across four games, a 23 percent increase from 2020 (447,000 average viewers . 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. WNBA viewership during the 2021 regular season was up 49 percent year over year. Visit ESPN to view 2022 WNBA stat leaders. Use Ask Statista Research Service. The final game for that series averaged 570,000 viewers. Regardless, the inevitable "Steenerico" reunion to take down The Bloodline . Add in the leagues partnership with CBS Sports Network as well as Facebook and Twitter, and nearly every game was televised for a national audience in 2020. WNBA's ESPN viewership up 74% after five games of 2021 season Women's basketball league averaging 357,000 viewers across ABC, ESPN and ESPN2. The WNBA fails to generate even one percent of the NBA's $8-$9 billion in revenue. Nobody wants to acknowledge that some sports translate better than others for both men and women, for whatever reason. Who is new Runnin Ute Keba Keita and how is Utahs 2022-23 roster shaping up? Theres a big gap between PGA Tour and LPGA Tour prize money. ESPN said on Thursday that the WNBA Finals averaged about 548,000 viewers per game, up 23% from last season and up 42% from 2019.