wnba viewership statistics wnba viewership statistics

WNBA basketball. According to Across the Timeline, average WNBA attendance per team during the regular season in 2021 was 2,388 fans. As soon as this statistic is updated, you will immediately be notified via e-mail. Accessed March 05, 2023. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1108312/women-national-basketball-association-interest-gender/, Morning Consult. 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. Liston 7 pts 2 reb 2 ast (gets back up minutes at 2/3 behind the starters and Wright 10-15 min) Hooper 7 pts 3 reb (backs up Powell, Hodges, TJJ, and GloJo at 3 and 4 for 15-20 minutes a night) Marshall 5 pts 3 reb 1 ast 1 stl (gets 10-15 minutes off bench behind Carson and Cappie at the 2 spot) Sims barely edges out Ogwumike for rookie of the . The Phoenix Mercury selected Diana Taurasi number one overall in 2004. Of the eight original teams, only the Los Angeles Sparks, Phoenix Mercury, and the New York Liberty have lasted. The late 90s and early 2000s had some of the highest regular season game best attendance averages to date. The WNBA is riding a wave of momentum former All-Star Adrienne Goodson believes the league hasn't seen since its early days. You need at least a Starter Account to use this feature. It has taken decades to overcome such backward thinking, and the womens games have been playing catch-up ever since. The result was the second-best viewership of the entire season, with 579,000 fans tuning in. The WNBA is being searched more on Google in the past 5 years than the prior 15, indicating increased awareness. 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. Every WNBA Player. Half of that 66% are Black males despite the fact that black men make up around 7% of the US population as a whole. You can only download this statistic as a Premium user. 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. 3),Aja Wilson(No. 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. It was the most watched Finals series since 2017. Lets first take a look at the last two WNBA Drafts. Currently, you are using a shared account. Show publisher information If you are an admin, please authenticate by logging in again. NEW YORK, Aug. 17, 2022 The WNBA finished the 2022 regular season delivering its most-watched regular season in 14 years. 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. In essence Black males are the main supporters of the WNBA, yet Layshia Clarendon decided to focus her anger towards them. 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. WNBA Moments on Top Shot gave fans the ability to own dynamic in-game moments from WNBA players and legends. The four-game Sky-Mercury WNBA Finals averaged 548,000 viewers across ABC, ESPN and ESPN2, marking the largest audience for the event since the five-game Lynx-Sparks series in 2017 (559K). Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. 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. WNBA players want what NBA players spent decades trying to obtain. To use individual functions (e.g., mark statistics as favourites, set Bill Laimbeer, a four-time NBA All-Star, was known as one of the Detroit Pistons' "Bad Boys" when they won NBA championships in 1989 . Few basketball fans were tuned in to see Peddys shot. 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Moreover, as pundits debate whether a severely depressed sports viewership landscape is that way in part because of increased athlete activism, the WNBA perhaps more than any other league used the platform of its games to organize political and social movements among fans and viewers, and did not suffer. This year the WNBA celebrated its 25th season and with that came exponential viewership growth across multiple categories on ESPN networks. Access to this and all other statistics on 80,000 topics from, Show sources information A multi-year deal with Amazon Prime Video made the WNBA the first womens professional sports league to be streamed on Prime Video. 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). 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. 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. The NBAs average ticket price is variously reported at between $51 to $89; the WNBAs $17. 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. 5) followed. Game 2 was the most watched Game 2 since 2003, peaking with 1 million viewers. 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. 1 seeded Las Vegas Aces and WNBA All-Stars Aja Wilson and Kelsey Plum on ESPN at 10 p.m. The league also reached several milestones including new sponsors, merchandise, distribution, and technology. Dont let WNBA stories go untold. Season. Teams averaged more made three-point field goals (7.7) than in any prior season propelling teams to average 82.3 points per game, the third-highest figure in league history. 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 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. The three-game series averaged 848,000 viewers. 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 . To use individual functions (e.g., mark statistics as favourites, set The value of working through athletes as influencers in the WNBA is evident in the data as well. Be an ally, be inclusive and be consistent when reporting or putting quality content out there about the WNBA. Kelsey Plum, a star player in the WNBA (ever heard of her? 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. A Division of NBCUniversal. Numbers were significantly impacted by the pandemic this year, as many teams only allowed severely limited attendance until after the Olympic break. Zoomph data shows the WNBA has a fan base that is nearly two times more female than average, which could mean more purchasing power than more male-centered sports, a strong sign for advertising. The drop of the new jerseys yielded over 69 million impressions on drop day. The 2023 World Baseball Classic, the first since 2017, will get underway on Tuesday, March 7. According to the WNBA, this is the most watched season since 2008. Yet their media rights fees are five-to-15 times the WNBAs. 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 three games) and a 42 percent surge from 2019 (386,000 average viewers in five games). And Buzzer began featuring live content and WNBA League Pass games on its mobile platform in the companys first foray into womens professional sports. Create your account and get enhanced access to all the latest stories. Please do not hesitate to contact me. Then you can access your favorite statistics via the star in the header. The 2022 No. It wasnt until 1984 that the Olympics created a marathon for women. 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 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. [12] The drop of new jerseys alone yielded over 69 million impressions on drop day. For many American viewers, the WBC will serve as an introduction to the top talents of other leagues . Who is new Runnin Ute Keba Keita and how is Utahs 2022-23 roster shaping up? 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. (September 21, 2022). So today, well take break down the leagues growth. Average TV viewers of the WNBA regular season from 2016 to 2022 (in 1,000s) [Graph]. Im not going to rest till I fix that. said WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert. The Women's National Basketball Association concluded its 25th anniversary season with another positive sign for viewership for its championship series. The NBAs average attendance is 17,760, the WNBAs 6,535. Figures prior to 2022 come from earlier articles. ", 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. Print Page. Sky guard Kahleah Copper won the 2021 Finals MVP after averaging 17 points and 5.5 rebounds in the series. Use Ask Statista Research Service. These decreases are what sitcoms experience before cancellation. The WNBAs Covid-disrupted 2020 regular season averaged 205,000 viewers across ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC. The Nielson-measured average total viewers for national telecasts of NBA games was up 8% from the 2016-17 season at 1.28 million. The league started the 25thseason by introducing its new official game ball by Wilson Sporting Goods through a new multiyear global partnership. It seems preposterous now, but only 50 years ago womens high school sports largely did not exist. Kena Krutsinger | National Basketball Association | Getty Images, What it takes to become an Olympic gold medalist. 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. The Christmas Day lineup netted a 10% increase in viewership, with the Dallas Mavericks and Lakers contest averaging 7.01 million viewers. 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 BarDown Podcast. A link has been emailed to you - check your inbox. The increase in WNBA viewership coincides with the most-ever league games on national television. Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. The highest-rated game in the WNBA's 25th anniversary season: an Aug. 15 contest between the Sky and Storm. Data is a real-time snapshot *Data is delayed at least 15 minutes. Earlier this month, the Women's College World Series three-game championship series between Oklahoma and Florida State averaged 1.84 million viewers on ESPN up 15% from 2019. Got a confidential news tip? 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. National Basketball Association all-time triple double leaders 1946-2022, Value of National Basketball Association franchises 2022, National Basketball Association all-time assists leaders 1946-2023. 2), the Las Vegas Aces (No. WNBA fans are between 2 to 6.6 times more likely than an average sports fan to be interested in politics and especially womens rights, said Niky Scott, a customer success manager at Zoomph. Womens basketball has steadily increased viewership year-over-year. Most-Viewed Postseason Since 2014 In comparison, last October's three-game WNBA Finals series featuring the Seattle Storm and Las Vegas Aces averaged 440,000 viewers. And Game 2 of that series averaged 1.2 million viewers on ABC. News Archive; Media Central; Game Notes; 2022-23 Dream Overseas Updates; 2023 Schedule Release; Team Store. And the new-age distributed sports network and brand, Overtime, reported that in 2021, OT WBB, their TikTok handle focused on womens basketball was in the top 25 of all sports media accounts on TikTok. The womens league now has a commissioner, Cathy Engelbert. 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. It was the first WNBA game post All-Star Game and Olympic break airing in the afternoon on ABC. Sue Bird(No. 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. The 2003 championship featuring the Los Angeles Sparks and Detroit Shock remains the league's most-watch finals. 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 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 three games) and a 42 percent surge from 2019 (386,000 average viewers in five games). 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. . Women's basketball has notched yet another viewership milestone this time at the pro level. 3 Minnesota Lynx and the No. That means they have an opportunity to keep growing, and are popular online where those fans who do not tune in live. That number was up 18% year over year, according to ESPN, despite the competition. The NBA is 75 years old, the WNBA 25. All of which leaves the WNBA a little short of money. The 2021 Finals are the most viewed since the 2017 Finals between the LA Sparks and the Minnesota Lynx, which registered 563,000 viewers. And Game 2 of that series averaged 1.2 million viewers on ABC. 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. 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. 2023 Players Check out our Player Season Finder to search through the entire history of WNBA player stats using custom criteria. By this date in 2019, 15 college football games averaged at least a 3.0 ratings. Diana Taurasi is called the Michael Jordan of the WNBA. Ever heard of her? The first round then continues Thursday, Aug. 18, when the No. This years Finals were also down on 2018, which was also a Seattle sweep, but when you consider what the ratings environment is, you cant ask for anything better, John Lewis of Paulsen Sports Media Watch told me. statistic alerts) please log in with your personal account. NBA games average 2 million TV viewers per game;WNBA games averaged 246,000 viewers during the 2019 regular season, according to Sports Media Watch (well ignore the 2020 season impacted by the pandemic). G Games Played. Revenues, of course, are not to be confused with profits. ESPN is making it easy to watch the Draft, Bria Felicien, the creator of The Black Sportswoman, said. For a league that is still focused on growth and evening the playing field, the virtual pandemic season still produced reason for optimism. How do you get that bias out of that valuation model? They never got a single NBA/WNBA double-header over the course of this going back to July. 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). The ideal entry-level account for individual users. Saturdays inaugural fixture on the streaming service saw the Atlanta Dream secure a thrilling 90-87 win over the New York Liberty in overtime. As a Premium user you get access to the detailed source references and background information about this statistic. 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. 1 overall pick in the WNBA draft Saturday, April 17, 2004, in Secaucus, N.J. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun). Official Release (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images), Ackerman, right, after the Mercury chose her as the No. 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). As soon as this statistic is updated, you will immediately be notified via e-mail. NBA players receive around 50% of shared revenue within their league, whereas we receive around 20%.. 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 Olympics didnt allow women to run an event longer than 800 meters until the 1972 Games, when the 1,500-meter run was added to the program; meanwhile, the men were also contesting longer distances 3,000-meter steeplechase, 5,000 meters, 10,000 meters and the marathon. More people. Her Oregon teammates Satou Sabally (second overall to Dallas Wings) and Ruthy Hebard (eighth overall to Chicago Sky) also went in the first round. Use Ask Statista Research Service, The source phrased the question as, "In general, would you describe yourself as an avid fan, a casual fan or not a fan of each of the following? 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. Meanwhile, Sabrina Ionesculed the league in jersey sales. Twenty-five years ago, the National Basketball Association Board of Directors approved the Womens National Basketball Association. It feels like it's growing at a point, Felicien said. 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. The strong showing in 2021 made it the most-viewed postseason since 2014. The league headed into the 26th season by announcing its $75 million capital raise to fuel investment in the long-term transformation of the league. The WNBA also welcomed Google as its newest WNBA Changemaker, joining AT&T, Deloitte and Nike. The WNBA Draft, held Monday on ESPN, averaged 403,000 viewers, the network announced a 20% increase from last year's draft and the most since 2004. Monday's Game 2 of the ALCS drew 1.88 million . Well explore average WNBA attendance, and share attendance results by team. All year, league executives were gratified that ESPN agreed to increase its investment in the league and air a record 37 games across its networks, about three times its typical WNBA slate. Digging into just the ESPN family of networks, regular season games broadcast or streamed averaged 306,000 viewers per game in 2021. The WNBA has also made room for males who share their vision. Get this delivered to your inbox, and more info about our products and services. 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. We've been waiting for this kind of recognition for so many years. Minnesota Lynxs Sylvia Fowles, in the final game of her illustrious career, became the first player in league history to log 4,000 career rebounds and Seattle Storms Sue Bird scored her 1,000. A multi-year deal with Amazon Prime Video made the WNBA the first womens professional sports league to be streamed on Prime Video, with Amazon receiving exclusive streaming rights to 16 WNBA games each season. Furthermore, as part of the WNBA raising capital, they had outside advisors come with an analysis showing that their viewership is on par with the NHL, NASCAR, and MLS. The share the percentage of households with. "Average TV viewers of the WNBA regular season from 2016 to 2022 (in 1,000s)." SportsPro. 1 overall pick Rhyne Howard of the Atlanta Dream became the first rookie to win a Conference Player of the Week honor since Tamika Catchings in 2002. The NBA's average ticket price is variously reported at between $51 to $89; the WNBA's $17. The MLB World Series averaged 13.91 million viewers nationally, down 1.3% from last year. The three-game series averaged 848,000 viewers. Here's the "Sunday Night Football" viewership so far this season: Week 1: Bears-Rams, 17.64 million Week 2: Chiefs-Ravens, 19.81 million Week 3: Packers-49ers, 19.69 million Week 4:. Under the CBA, base salaries increase to $130,000 and the leagues elite players can earn upward of $500,000. 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. Further proof of concept was evident in the recent WNBA and Nike launch of three new uniforms for each of the 12 teams in the league.