The WNBA concluded its most-watched regular season for the longest-tenured WNBA broadcaster, averaging 1.4 million viewers across ESPN networks, a 17% increase from the previous year according to network data. The milestone highlights a surge in women’s professional basketball viewership across multiple broadcast and streaming platforms during the 2024 season.
ESPN and ABC Viewership Surge
ESPN networks recorded their highest regular-season average yet, having carried the league since the inaugural season in 1997. ABC averaged 1.6 million viewers, marking a 9% increase from the prior year, while ESPN averaged 1.2 million viewers, up 32%. Compared to Nielsen’s Big Data plus panel figures from the previous season, the combined ESPN and ABC viewership rose by a modest 7% from 1.3 million.
ESPN’s regular season slate finished averaging 1.9 million viewers for the matchup between the Lynx and Fever on Tuesday night. That audience trailed only three other Fever games broadcast in August: Fever-Dream at 2.58 million, Liberty-Fever at 2.01M, and Fever-Tempo at 1.85M. The second half of the Tuesday doubleheader, featuring the Sparks and Aces, drew 775,000 viewers.
Broadcast and Cable Network Comparisons
Four networks across three companies averaged at least one million viewers for their WNBA packages throughout the season. NBC secured the top spot among broadcasters, averaging 1.75 million viewers across a seven-game schedule measured by Nielsen linear audiences and Adobe Analytics streaming data. NBC’s largest audience tuned in on August 23, when 3.31 million viewers watched the Fever face the Sky.
CBS averaged 1.275 million viewers across an expanded 20-game schedule, representing a 9% increase over its nine-game slate the previous year which averaged 1.17M. Fourteen of CBS’s 20 games surpassed the one-million-viewer threshold, with its peak audience reaching 2.58 million for the Liberty-Fever game in July. The network concluded its season with 751,000 viewers for a matchup between the Mercury and Wings.
Streaming and Regional Coverage Metrics
Scripps-owned ION averaged 617,000 viewers for its regional game windows, marking a 2% decrease from the previous year’s Big Data plus panel figure of 627,000. ION’s final regular-season telecast on Friday featured the Fever-Tempo, drawing 1.32 million viewers to mark its second-largest audience of the year. Six ION broadcasts surpassed one million viewers, led by an August matchup between the Fever and Wings that reached 1.62M.
Prime Video completed its first Nielsen-rated WNBA season as a primary broadcast partner with an average of 437,000 viewers. The streaming platform, which has carried games since 2021 under an agreement tied to the NBA partnership, peaked with 1.07M viewers for an August game between the Fever and Wings. USA Network also carried games in the final days of the season, with its highest-rated matchup reaching 1.14M viewers for a July contest between the Fever and Valkyries.
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the average viewership for WNBA games on ESPN networks?
WNBA games averaged 1.4 million viewers across ESPN networks during the regular season, representing a 17% increase from the previous year.
Which network achieved the highest average viewership per game?
NBC held the top spot among WNBA broadcasters, averaging 1.75 million viewers across its seven-game schedule using Nielsen linear and Adobe Analytics streaming metrics.
How many networks averaged at least one million viewers?
Four networks across three companies—NBC, ABC, ESPN, and CBS—averaged at least one million viewers for their WNBA packages during the season.