The WNBA season got off to the strongest start on broadcast since NBC held the rights in 2002.
Sunday’s Mercury/Lynx WNBA regular season game, the first telecast of the season on ESPN/ABC, earned a 1.0 overnight rating — up 100% from Mercury/Storm on the opening weekend last year (0.5).
The 1.0 overnight is tied as the highest for the first game of the WNBA season on broadcast since Liberty/Sparks on NBC in 2002 (1.4).
Of note, Sunday’s game and the 2002 game both aired as part of an WNBA-NBA doubleheader, perhaps an indication that the WNBA is able to attract a larger audience when paired with the NBA.
Overnight Ratings For WNBA Season Opener on Broadcast
Past decade
2010 opener aired on ESPN2
* Sports Business Daily reported that this game had a 0.8 overnight.
(Sunday’s overnight from ESPN)
