Arguably the most-anticipated WNBA Finals in league history was its most-watched in two decades.
The four-game Aces-Liberty WNBA Finals averaged a 0.45 rating and 728,000 viewers across ABC and ESPN, ranking as the most-watched Finals in 20 years (2003 Shock-Sparks: 848K) and the eighth-most watched in league history. Viewership increased 36% from Aces-Sun last year (0.31, 534K). Ratings will be added when available.
The Liberty, who played in four of the first six WNBA Finals, have now played in five of the eight most-watched series.
Most-watched WNBA Finals
Wednesday’s Game 4 averaged a 0.52 rating and 889,000 viewers on ESPN, marking the largest WNBA audience of any kind since Aces-Storm Game 3 in the semifinals last season (904K) and the largest WNBA Finals audience since Sparks-Lynx Game 5 in 2017 (913K). Overall, the Aces’ win delivered the 14th-largest audience in WNBA Finals history (95 total telecasts).
Game 4, which peaked with 1.3 million viewers in from 10 PM ET through the conclusion, more-than-doubled last year’s Sunday afternoon clincher (0.22, 396K).
Las Vegas led all markets for the clincher with a 2.3 rating, followed by Hartford-New Haven (1.5) and Virginia markets Norfolk (1.4) and Richmond (1.3). Providence, R.I., rounded out the top five with a 1.2. New York City tied for six with Buffalo at a 1.0.
Sunday’s Game 3 averaged a 0.41 and 659,000 on ABC, marking the largest Game 3 audience in 18 years — since Sun-Monarchs on ABC in 2005 (895K). Ratings increased 20% and viewership 14% from last year’s Game 3, a Thursday night game on ESPN (0.34, 579K).
As previously noted, Game 1 was the most-watched Finals opener since 2000 and Game 2 — a 28-point Las Vegas rout — hit a three-year low.
Overall, 15 WNBA games this season averaged at least 600,000 viewers, more-than-double last year’s total of seven. All four Finals games topped the 600,000 viewer mark, the first Finals since 2000 in which that was the case.
The complete WNBA Playoffs averaged 470,000 viewers, up 3% from last year (456K) and the most-watched postseason in 16 years. The full season averaged 454,000 viewers across the ESPN networks, up 10% from last year and an 18-year high.
(Nielsen estimates from Sports TV Ratings 10.19, Programming Insider 10.19, ESPN PR)
