WNBA Finals: Final Games of Fever/Lynx Down on ESPN2

After viewership hit a seven-year high in Game 2, the 2012 WNBA Finals finished on a lower note on ESPN2 over the weekend.

Game 4 of the Lynx/Fever WNBA Finals drew 433,000 viewers on ESPN2 Sunday night, down 35% from Mercury/Fever in 2009, the most recent Game 4 of the WNBA Finals (670K).

In Indianapolis, home to the champion Fever, the game drew a 5.7 rating — actually down 11% from Mercury/Fever Game 4 in 2009 (6.4).

On Friday night, Game 3 of the series drew 337,000 viewers — down 44% from the clinching Lynx/Dream Game 3 last year (600K), and down 38% from the clinching Storm/Dream Game 3 in 2010 (545K).

Compared to the last non-clinching Game 3, Friday’s viewership declined by 13% from Mercury/Fever in 2009 (389K).

Of the three WNBA Finals games on ESPN2, Sunday’s Game 4 earned the top audience. The top game of the series overall was Game 2 on October 17, which earned 778,000 viewers on ESPN.

Viewership For 2012 WNBA Finals
Compared to past two years

Year	Series	Gm. 1	Gm. 2	Gm. 3	Gm. 4	Gm. 5
2012	Fever-Lynx	343K	778K	337K	433K	none
2011	Lynx-Dream	491K	447K	600K	none
2010	Storm-Dream	450K	487K	545K	none

10 Most-Viewed WNBA Playoff Games Ever on ESPN or ESPN2
Ranked by households

#	Date	Away	Home	Round, Gm. #	Net	Homes (000)	Viewers (000)
1	Tue., 9/1/98	Mercury	Comets	Finals, Gm. 3	ESPN	1,038	1,371
2	Mon., 8/30/99	Sparks	Comets	WCF, Gm. 3	ESPN	874	1,052
3	Thu., 8/28/97	Liberty	Mercury	Semifinal	ESPN	722	890
4	Tue., 9/16/03	Sparks	Shock	Finals, Gm. 3	ESPN2	691	886
5	Tue., 8/25/98	Mercury	Rockers	Semis, Gm. 3	ESPN	678	895
6	Thu., 8/28/97	Sting	Comets	Semifinal	ESPN	672	885
7	Tue., 8/24/99	Monarchs	Sparks	Quarterfinal	ESPN	655	858
8	Mon., 8/24/98	Sting	Comets	Semis, Gm. 2	ESPN	625	741
9	Wed., 9/6/06	Shock	Monarchs	Finals, Gm. 4	ESPN2	624	793
10	Wed., 10/17/12	Fever	Lynx	Finals, Gm. 2	ESPN	618	778