Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark #22 and Atlanta Dream guard #33 during a WNBA preseason game at Gambridge Arena on May 9, 2024 in Indianapolis, Indiana Destanni Henderson drove to the basket together.
Brian Spurlock | Graphic Sports Line | Getty Images
The league's popularity soared during the 2024 season with the addition of young stars like Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, and the league's ratings and attendance soared.
The league's games attracted a record-breaking audience of more than 54 million unique viewers across various networks, including disneyABC and ESPN, Paramount Worldwide”CBS, EW Scripps Ion and NBA TV, among others, according to data released by the WNBA on Friday.
Additionally, WNBA game attendance hit its highest level in 22 years, up nearly 50% from the 2023 season, according to the league. There were 154 sold-out games for the year, more than three times the 45 sold-out games in 2023.
Explosive metrics and popularity this season from top prospects, including Clark of the Indiana Fever and Reese of the Chicago Sky, the Las Vegas Aces are trying to win their third championship. The numbers underscore why the league has been able to attract lucrative new media rights deals and is in an expansion phase: The WNBA announced this month that it will add a 15th team in Portland for the 2026 season.
As attention increases around the league, more players say they have experienced online harassment or racism. WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert did not explicitly condemn the vitriol toward players when asked about it on CNBC earlier this month, sparking criticism from around the league.
she Later clarified She opposes “hate or racism”.
Clark's influence was also reflected in the Fever's attendance numbers. Every WNBA team saw double-digit attendance growth year over year. However, the Fever's increase was more than fourfold, significantly higher than the second-place Los Angeles Sparks' 69% increase, according to WNBA data.
The WNBA has also seen significant growth in merchandise and social engagement this season. WNBA social media accounts attracted nearly 2 billion video views, more than four times the 2023 season.
This intense focus resulted in a media rights contract worth $2.2 billion for 11 seasons, with prices to be re-evaluated after the 2028 season, CNBC previously reported. WNBA media rights were negotiated as part of a broader NBA deal earlier this year.
During rights negotiations — which culminated in an 11-year, $77 billion deal — the NBA had been trying to secure more funding for the WNBA given its growing popularity.
During the 2024 WNBA season, 22 regular season games averaged at least 1 million viewers for telecasts.
According to the league, multiple single-game ESPN games broke WNBA ratings records, and it was ESPN's most-watched regular season ever, averaging 1.19 million viewers, a 170% increase from last season. The 2024 season saw seven of the most-watched WNBA games ever aired on ESPN and two of the most-watched games on ABC.
It was also CBS Sports' most-watched regular season ever, and CBS Sports' five most-watched WNBA games ever, including June's Sky at Fever game, which averaged 2.25 million viewers.
A game between the Fever and the Connecticut Sun on September 22 drew a record crowd, and the explosive ratings continued into the playoffs. According to ESPN. Clark Fever were eliminated in two games in the first round.
The league's playoffs are now in the semifinals, with the Aces set to face last year's runners-up, the New York Liberty, in a rematch.