The WNBA experienced record-breaking viewership during the 2024 regular season, with over 54 million unique viewers across various networks and platforms. The surge in popularity is attributed to rookie stars Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, along with increased game attendance and social media engagement.
The WNBA had record viewership during the 2024 regular season as the league's popularity soared with rookie stars Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese .
In addition, game attendance soared to the highest in more than two decades, along with growth across social media and merchandise sales. As attention on the league increased, more players said they experienced online harassment or racism. Asked about the dynamic on CNBC earlier this month, WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert did not explicitly condemn the vitriol toward players, sparking criticism from around the league.Clark's impact also showed in the Fever's attendance numbers. Every WNBA team had a double-digit year-over-year increase in attendance.
The heightened attention has led to a $2.2 billion media rights contract for 11 seasons, with a price reevaluation after the 2028 season,During the rights negotiations — which led to a $77 billion, 11-year agreement in total — the NBA had pushed to get more money for the WNBA given its rising popularity.Several individual games broke records for WNBA viewership on ESPN, and this was the most viewed regular season ever for ESPN, with an average of 1.
WNBA Viewership Rookie Stars Caitlin Clark Angel Reese Basketball
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