The WNBA is competing for viewers during one of the busiest times on the sports calendar and the league is holding its own. Through two WNBA Finals games, the series between the Las Vegas Aces and New York Liberty is the most watched in 20 years, averaging 680,000 viewers.
Las Vegas Aces guard Chelsea Gray celebrates after a play against the New York Liberty during the second half in Game 1 of a WNBA basketball final playoff series Sunday, Oct. 8, 2023, in Las Vegas. Las Vegas Aces guard Kelsey Plum shoots against the New York Liberty during the second half in Game 1 of a WNBA basketball final playoff series Sunday, Oct. 8, 2023, in Las Vegas.
An expanded regular season and playoffs have pushed the end of the WNBA season into head-to-head competition with the NFL, baseball playoffs and the start of the NHL and NBA preseason. Going into the finals, though, playoff viewership was averaging 400,000, an 8% decline over last year. However, Game 2 of the semifinal series between the Connecticut Sun and New York Liberty on Sept. 26, a Tuesday night, averaged 563,000 on ESPN, the largest audience for a non-finals playoff game on cable since 2001.
John Kosner, who runs his own digital and sports consulting company, says that even though the playoffs and finals are taking place during a busy time on the sports calendar, there are more people watching television during the fall, which brings opportunities to get a sampling from a broader audience.
“When you have a marquee matchup, like the Las Vegas Aces and now New York, that’s what the old days used to be. That’s what we were getting back to,” Aces President Nikki Fargas said before Wednesday’s Game 2. “And I think the fan base is understanding that not only are we going to follow you and support you in person, if I can’t be there, then I’m gonna support you and watch you.”
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