Meanwhile, Sabrina Ionesculed the league in jersey sales. The WNBA is 50 years behind in building its brand and working out labor issues. 92-59 in Game 3 of the WNBA Finals to win the Championship at Feld Entertainment Center on October 06, 2020 in Palmetto, Florida. ET, followed by the eighth seeded Phoenix Mercury and the teams leading rebounder Brianna Turner taking on the No. And I think thats definitely achievable. she continued. They did that during the NBC days. That is a 49% increase compared to 2020 and 24% increase to 2019. The league also set new marks for engagements across social media, digital and merchandise, as well as experienced subscription growth for WNBA League Pass. ESPN said the 2021 WNBA Finals between the Chicago Sky and Phoenix Mercury attracted an average of 548,000 viewers throughout four games. The four-round WNBA postseason features the eight teams with the best regular-season records. The first and second rounds are single-elimination games. Under the CBA, base salaries increase to $130,000 and the leagues elite players can earn upward of $500,000. 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. And Game 2 of that series averaged 1.2 million viewers on ABC. . Level of interest in WNBA in the United States as of May 2022, by gender [Graph]. Kelsey Plum, a star player in the WNBA (ever heard of her? The WNBAs Covid-disrupted 2020 regular season averaged 205,000 viewers across ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC. 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. In 2021, there have been 24 telecasts, compared to 37 broadcasts in 2020 and 16 in 2019. Then you can access your favorite statistics via the star in the header. In, Morning Consult. 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. 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 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. The WNBA also welcomed Google as its newest WNBA Changemaker, joining AT&T, Deloitte and Nike. The NBA's sponsorship revenue is about 100x the WNBA's; the NBA's cable viewership is 88x the WNBA's; and the . Learn more about how Statista can support your business. WNBA Stats and History Statistics, scores, and history for the Women's National Basketball Association. Also, the viewership on ESPN and ESPN2 increased 11% from 202,000 views last season to 224,000. Ultimately, its a missed opportunity for the WNBA. 1 June 2021 Sam Carp News SHARE THIS ARTICLE. By this date in 2019, 15 college football games averaged at least a 3.0 ratings. The league reported 387,000 average viewers last year, up 123 percent from 2019. An NBA Draft . Theres a big gap between PGA Tour and LPGA Tour prize money. The WNBA has also made room for males who share their vision. 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. 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). 1 overall pick in the WNBA draft Saturday, April 17, 2004, in Secaucus, N.J. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun). 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. VIEWERSHIP: Combined viewership for the WNBA across ESPN Networks (ABC, ESPN, ESPN2) and the CBS Television Network was up 16 percent over the 2021 regular season, averaging 379,000. How about how many people were willing to leave the comfort of their homes and hit the arena? 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. 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. The league added it's also the most-viewed WNBA season since 2008. Saturdays inaugural fixture on the streaming service saw the Atlanta Dream secure a thrilling 90-87 win over the New York Liberty in overtime. Show publisher information 1 Connecticut Sun and the No. Data is a real-time snapshot *Data is delayed at least 15 minutes. Sky guard Kahleah Copper won the 2021 Finals MVP after averaging 17 points and 5.5 rebounds in the series. And the 2019 finals featuring the Connecticut Sun and Washington Mystics averaged 386,000 viewers and lasted five games. Global Business and Financial News, Stock Quotes, and Market Data and Analysis. Most Super Bowl wins by NFL team 1967-2023, Average ticket price in the NFL by team 2021, FIFA World Ranking: top male soccer teams 2022, Athletic footwear global market share by company 2015, Health & Fitness Clubs - Statistics & Facts, Sporting goods industry in the U.S. - statistics & facts, Research expert covering sports and video gaming, Profit from additional features with an Employee Account. Four other ABC telecasts this season became most-viewed regular season games since 2012: ESPN has been a WNBA rights-holder since the leagues inception 25 years ago and has a multi-platform rights agreement through 2025. You cant ask for anything better than to have a 15 percent increase (for the Finals) when the NBA Finals is down 49 percent, John Lewis of Paulsen Sports Media Watch said last October. The WNBA fails to generate even one percent of the NBA's $8-$9 billion in revenue. 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. 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 share the percentage of households with. Are you interested in testing our business solutions? Twenty-five years ago, the National Basketball Association Board of Directors approved the Womens National Basketball Association. As soon as this statistic is updated, you will immediately be notified via e-mail. In addition to ESPN, this years WNBA games are being broadcast on Amazon Prime Video for the first time. The St. Louis Blues are averaging 3.05 goals per game, 3.64 goals against per game, 20.7% on the power play, and 76.7% on the penalty kill. However, the shrinking interest is more than a concern. And the 2021 WNBA Finals Game 2 was the most watched Game 2 since 2003, peaking with 1 million viewers. A paid subscription is required for full access. 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. Measuring the post-season revenue is a bit difficult, but estimating is assisted by presented viewership numbers. Digital: A record was set for the traffic the WNBA site saw online. The playoffs were the most-watched since 2014. Official Release Several college stars embarked on their WNBA journey today as all 12 teams officially opened training camp. Click the logo and sign up for access to the ESPN Images Library. Numbers were significantly impacted by the pandemic this year, as many teams only allowed severely limited attendance until after the Olympic break. This represented the league's. It was the most watched Finals series since 2017. The increase in WNBA viewership coincides with the most-ever league games on national television. Viewership across its national television partners ABC, CBS, ESPN, and ESPN2 was up 16 percent over the 2021 season. You cant ask for anything better than to have a 15 percent increase (for the Finals) when the NBA Finals is down 49 percent.. How do you get that bias out of that valuation model? That would have been a perfect thing for them to have. Because of ESPNs commitment to the league and brands increasing desire to get involved with the leagues star players, online engagement with the WNBA continued to grow. 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. May 26, 2022. four quarters in both an NBA and WNBA game (each quarter is 12 minutes for the men and 10 minutes for the women). All of which leaves the WNBA a little short of money. ESPN also. The mens league casts a big shadow, which is why the WNBA plays its season from July to October. MPG Minutes Per Game . Alex Ovechkin has led the Capitals this season with 33 goals, 24 assists, and 244 shots on goal. Monday's Game 2 of the ALCS drew 1.88 million . At a time when sports continue to shed live viewers, the WNBAs numbers this year shows they still have not hit their ceiling. 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). The league started the 25thseason by introducing its new official game ball by Wilson Sporting Goods through a new multiyear global partnership. It was the first WNBA game post All-Star Game and Olympic break airing in the afternoon on ABC. It is the most-watched comedy debut on ABC in nearly four years. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images), Ackerman, right, after the Mercury chose her as the No. The BarDown podcast will investigate, uncover and explore long-form stories at the intersection of sports . I just really hope that this is the beginning and there's no backtracking. 2), the Las Vegas Aces (No. The BarDown Podcast. 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 womens league now has a commissioner, Cathy Engelbert. Over the whole season, they didnt get a single situation where they were leading into the NBA or the NBA was leading into them. 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. The highest-rated game in the WNBA's 25th anniversary season: an Aug. 15 contest between the Sky and Storm. Candace Parker #3 of the Chicago Sky celebrates with her teammates after winning Game Four of the 2021 WNBA Finals against the Phoenix Mercury on October 17, 2021 at the Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Illinois. Dont just show up for the big moments because WNBA fans and their athletes know this. Register in seconds and access exclusive features. News Archive; Media Central; Game Notes; 2022-23 Dream Overseas Updates; 2023 Schedule Release; Team Store. We want to hear from you. 2023 Players Check out our Player Season Finder to search through the entire history of WNBA player stats using custom criteria. Currently, you are using a shared account. Will the recent increase in viewership and engagement provide the necessary proof of concept needed to propel the WNBA to the next level? The MLB World Series averaged 13.91 million viewers nationally, down 1.3% from last year. 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. 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. The NBA has 30 teams, the WNBA 12. You need at least a Starter Account to use this feature. Sky forward Candace Parker finished the game with 16 points and team-high 13 rebounds. Copyright 2023 Deseret News Publishing Company. Our data would show we have about 30 million fans who interact with WNBA content in any given year. The increase in WNBA viewership coincides with the most-ever league games on national television. G Games Played. 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. 3 Minnesota Lynx and the No. system, which features three uniform editions for each of the 12 teams, WNBA merchandise on The WNBA Store saw record growth this season with a 50% increase over last year. We made the roster requirements . Which was a drop of 16% on the previous year. Accessed March 05, 2023. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1236723/wnba-regular-season-viewers/, SportsPro. Visit ESPN to view 2022 WNBA stat leaders. IN HISTORIC 25TH SEASON, League Sets Records for Merchandise Sales Online and Social Media Engagement . 4), and the Chicago Sky (No. 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.. 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. Regardless, the inevitable "Steenerico" reunion to take down The Bloodline . Lets first take a look at the last two WNBA Drafts. 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. Additionally, the WNBA saw an increase in the opening weekend and postseason viewership last season while it alongside the NBA return to play, the NWSL Challenge Cup, and the NHL return to play. 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. 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. Then you can access your favorite statistics via the star in the header. ET, before the No. An average of 379,000 viewers watched WNBA games on ABC, ESPN and CBS, the league said Wednesday, a 16% increase from 2021. Wedneday, March 1st In today's episode we talk about: Discord coming soon! Season Type Per Mode. The value of working through athletes as influencers in the WNBA is evident in the data as well. The WNBA is being searched more on Google in the past 5 years than the prior 15, indicating increased awareness. And that's across the league's four television-network partners ABC, ESPN, NBA TV, TNT and the highest average since the NBA's 2013-14 season. 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. 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. "It's so interesting, . Be an ally, be inclusive and be consistent when reporting or putting quality content out there about the WNBA. To use individual functions (e.g., mark statistics as favourites, set However, the average viewership for the 2020 finals increased 15% to 440,000. NEW YORK, Aug. 17, 2022 The WNBA finished the 2022 regular season delivering its most-watched regular season in 14 years. That means they have an opportunity to keep growing, and are popular online where those fans who do not tune in live. 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). That number was up 18% year over year, according to ESPN, despite the competition. Learn more about how Statista can support your business. 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 . As a Premium user you get access to background information and details about the release of this statistic. Profit from the additional features of your individual account. Subscribe to get the latest articles first. 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. "Level of interest in WNBA in the United States as of May 2022, by gender." Just two weeks later and five games in, WNBA ratings climbed even higher to 74% year over year growth. It wasnt until 1984 that the Olympics created a marathon for women. 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. Are you interested in testing our business solutions? To use individual functions (e.g., mark statistics as favourites, set 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. The NBAs average ticket price is variously reported at between $51 to $89; the WNBAs $17. 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. The champion Chicago Sky sold out both of their home games during the Finals and ticket . The final game for that series averaged 570,000 viewers. 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. And Buzzer began featuring live content and WNBA League Pass games on its mobile platform in the companys first foray into womens professional sports. 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. Today's top WNBA players can earn upwards of $500,000, courtesy of last year's landmark collective bargaining agreement, which guaranteed new maternity benefits and better travel conditions. Team Stats. 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. As for the WNBA post-season, it was the most viewed since 2014. 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. For many American viewers, the WBC will serve as an introduction to the top talents of other leagues . to incorporate the statistic into your presentation at any time. The introduction of the NWO brought a drastic shift in television viewership, fueling WCW to an unpredictable 83-week smackdown in the battle for ratings supremacy while breathing new life into . According to WNBA statistics, 75 percent of the fans in attendance at a WNBA game are female. Women's basketball has notched yet another viewership milestone this time at the pro level. WNBA players want what NBA players spent decades trying to obtain. At the same time, the leagues digital footprint tells a slightly different story. TV viewership will be essential for Silver's league as it returns to a standard 82-game format. 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). Sue Bird(No. Visit ESPN to view the Las Vegas Aces team stats for the 2022 season. September 21, 2022. The 2003 championship featuring the Los Angeles Sparks and Detroit Shock remains the league's most-watch finals. The league started the 25th season by introducing its new official game ball by Wilson Sporting Goods through a new multiyear global partnership. In comparison, last October's three-game WNBA Finals series featuring the Seattle Storm and Las Vegas Aces averaged 440,000 viewers.