It has taken decades to overcome such backward thinking, and the womens games have been playing catch-up ever since. NBA games average 2 million TV viewers per game;WNBA games averaged 246,000 viewers during the 2019 regular season, according to Sports Media Watch (well ignore the 2020 season impacted by the pandemic). On TNT, in the measurement from 2011-12, NBA viewership is down 40%. Meanwhile, Sabrina Ionesculed the league in jersey sales. Much has happened since the NBA Board approved the concept of the WNBA. Yet their media rights fees are five-to-15 times the WNBAs. Early metrics still showed spikes in WNBA viewership, with Game 1 racking up an average of 555,000 viewers for the most-viewed Finals' opener in five years. 6 seeded Dallas Wings and former Rookie of the Year Allisha Gray travel to Connecticut and 2021 WNBA MVP Jonquel Jones to take on the third seeded Sun on ESPNU and NBA TV at 8 p.m. Which was a drop of 16% on the previous year. ", Morning Consult, Level of interest in WNBA in the United States as of May 2022, by gender Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1108312/women-national-basketball-association-interest-gender/ (last visited March 05, 2023), Level of interest in WNBA in the United States as of May 2022, by gender [Graph], Morning Consult, May 26, 2022. This season included 11 windows on broadcast television (ABC + CBS), the league's most in a season since at least two decades (NBC carried 10 in 2001 and 2002). The WNBA is an American professional women's basketball league established in 1996 and owned by the NBA. Be an ally, be inclusive and be consistent when reporting or putting quality content out there about the WNBA. Phoenix Mercury guard Diana Taurasi (3) shoots between Minnesota Lynx forwards Damiris Dantas (12) and Napheesa Collier (24) during an WNBA playoff basketball game on Thursday, Sept. 17, 2020, in Bradenton, Fla. WNBA players have contended for some time that their pay is unfair, that they deserve something closer to what their male counterparts in the NBA are paid. The NBA's average attendance is 17,760, the WNBA's 6,535. August 17, 2022, League Sets Social, Digital and Merchandising Records , In Their Final Seasons, Sylvia Fowles First Player to Record 4,000 Rebounds in a Career; Sue Bird Records 1,000 Three-Pointers Made , The 2022 WNBA Playoffs Presented by Google Tips Off Wednesday, Aug. 17. Dont just show up for the big moments because WNBA fans and their athletes know this. Stats say that 66% of WNBA viewers are actually male. Further proof of concept was evident in the recent WNBA and Nike launch of three new uniforms for each of the 12 teams in the league. 5) followed Sabrina on the list of top five most popular jerseys. However, the shrinking interest is more than a concern. It is the most-watched comedy debut on ABC in nearly four years. The 2021 WNBA Finals on ESPN networks and ABC - Chicago Sky victory over the Phoenix Mercury - averaged 548,000 viewers across four games, a 23 percent increase from 2020 (447,000 average viewers in three games) and a 42 percent surge from 2019 (386,000 average viewers in five games). Nobody wants to acknowledge that some sports translate better than others for both men and women, for whatever reason. 1 overall pick in the WNBA draft Saturday, April 17, 2004, in Secaucus, N.J. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun). The best of the best: the portal for top lists & rankings: Strategy and business building for the data-driven economy: Industry-specific and extensively researched technical data (partially from exclusive partnerships). WNBA fans are between 2 to 6.6 times more likely than an average sports fan to be interested in politics and especially womens rights, said Niky Scott, a customer success manager at Zoomph. As part of the agreement, the league established a new platform, WNBA Changemakers, to attract corporate investment in the league. 1 Connecticut Sun and the No. WNBA's ESPN viewership up 74% after five games of 2021 season Women's basketball league averaging 357,000 viewers across ABC, ESPN and ESPN2. You need at least a Starter Account to use this feature. It might not be fair, but it is reality. Moreover, as pundits debate whether a severely depressed sports viewership landscape is that way in part because of increased athlete activism, the WNBA perhaps more than any other league used the platform of its games to organize political and social movements among fans and viewers, and did not suffer. Show publisher information Need Photos? The WNBA is riding a wave of momentum former All-Star Adrienne Goodson believes the league hasn't seen since its early days. That is a 49% increase compared to 2020 and 24% increase to 2019. To use individual functions (e.g., mark statistics as favourites, set The Pac-12 and SEC commissioners will be bringing NIL issues to lawmakers, High school girls golf: 3A region recaps, Richfield, Morgan, Union and Judge Memorial claim region titles, High school boys soccer: 3A/2A second round recap from Wednesdays games, It reportedly wont be long until the Mountain West Conference eliminates divisions, Change may be on the way for the transfer portal and college football recruiting. Subscribe to get the latest articles first. That would have been a perfect thing for them to have. to incorporate the statistic into your presentation at any time. WNBA 2021 commercial guide: Every franchise, every sponsor, all the major TV deals. For example, according to 2019 data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, unionized female employees earn 29% more than non-unionized female employees and unionized black employees earn 27% more than non-unionized black employees. Over the whole season, they didnt get a single situation where they were leading into the NBA or the NBA was leading into them. And Buzzer began featuring live content and WNBA League Pass games on its mobile platform in the companys first foray into womens professional sports. How about how many people were willing to leave the comfort of their homes and hit the arena? 1 June 2021 Sam Carp News SHARE THIS ARTICLE. The NBA opened the 2020-21 season to a strong start after enjoying the most-watched opening week since 2012, with combined viewership up 67% compared to last year. For specifically the WNBA Finals in 2021, the first game of the series (Chicago Sky vs. Phoenix Mercury) peaked with 547,000 viewers, making it the most-viewed opening game of the Finals since 2017. Black History Month: Emerging Leaders | Renee Montgomery: An Owner with a Players Perspective, WNBA Draft 2023 Presented By State Farm To Be Held On April 10th. The NBA's sponsorship revenue is about 100x the WNBA's; the NBA's cable viewership is 88x the WNBA's; and the . Sunday's Game 1 of the ALCS on TBS drew 2.07 million viewers. At a time when sports continue to shed live viewers, the WNBAs numbers this year shows they still have not hit their ceiling. The first and second rounds are single-elimination games. Also viewership for the seasons opening weekend rose 325% in Canada. Women's basketball has notched yet another viewership milestone this time at the pro level. The Chicago Sky emerged victorious,winning 87-85 in overtime at their home court. Print Page. Here's the "Sunday Night Football" viewership so far this season: Week 1: Bears-Rams, 17.64 million Week 2: Chiefs-Ravens, 19.81 million Week 3: Packers-49ers, 19.69 million Week 4:. Please create an employee account to be able to mark statistics as favorites. Official Release I cover women's sports and the intersection of sports & society. "It's so interesting, . In comparison, last October's three-game WNBA Finals series featuring the Seattle Storm and Las Vegas Aces averaged 440,000 viewers. Register in seconds and access exclusive features. According to ESPN, the 2021 WNBA Finals were the most-viewed since 2017, with an average of 548,000 viewers across ESPN networks and ABC. Figures prior to 2022 come from earlier articles. TV viewership will be essential for Silver's league as it returns to a standard 82-game format. So today, well take break down the leagues growth. Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. Please create an employee account to be able to mark statistics as favorites. The WNBAs Covid-disrupted 2020 regular season averaged 205,000 viewers across ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC, a drop of 16 per cent on the previous year. The Seattle Storm vs. Chicago Sky game on Aug. 15, broadcast . WNBA NBA NBA G League NBA 2K League. WNBA DELIVERS MOST-WATCHED REGULAR SEASON SINCE 2008 The WNBA fails to generate even one percent of the NBA's $8-$9 billion in revenue. IN HISTORIC 25TH SEASON, League Sets Records for Merchandise Sales Online and Social Media Engagement . Monday's Game 2 of the ALCS drew 1.88 million . A Division of NBCUniversal. The 2003 championship featuring the Los Angeles Sparks and Detroit Shock remains the league's most-watch finals. The four-game series averaged 548,000 viewers, according to ESPN. Team Stats. The mens league casts a big shadow, which is why the WNBA plays its season from July to October. We made the roster requirements . [Online]. The 2021 WNBA regular season averaged 306,000 viewers, a 49 percent increase over the 2020 regular season and up 24 percent over 2019. . Take the Orange Hoodie campaign in which the league partnered with ESPN and athletes across sport to push its signature orange logo hoodie, sold by Fanatics, as well as general excitement in the lead-up to its opening weekend in late July. 5) followed. most-watched NCAA Tournament game in 10 years, WNBA Viewership & Ratings Growing In 2021, Fans prefer to attend Seattle Storm games on, During the WNBAs first season, the Phoenix Mercury had the highest a, In 2008 the Detroit Shock were the WNBA Champions. A multi-year deal with Amazon Prime Video made the WNBA the first womens professional sports league to be streamed on Prime Video, with Amazon receiving exclusive streaming rights to 16 WNBA games each season. More people tuned into the biggest WNBA games this year, even with many more options than usual. The showdown recorded 789,000 viewers, peaking at a million for the primetime presentation. (September 21, 2022). Shouldnt the league be able to stand on its own before it offers such rewards? Theres a big gap between PGA Tour and LPGA Tour prize money. A bigger cut for the players means higher subsidies from their benefactor. Despite being virtual as opposed to broadcast live from Nike Headquarters in New York City they are the two most-viewed WNBA Drafts in nearly 20 years. The NBAs annual revenues are $7.92 billion, the WNBAs $60 million which would not even cover the combined salaries of NBA players Kevin Love and Damian Lillard. Under the CBA, base salaries increase to $130,000 and the leagues elite players can earn upward of $500,000. And though the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics did not [] The playoffs were the most-watched since 2014. Additionally, the WNBA saw an increase in the opening weekend and postseason viewership last season while it alongside the NBA return to play, the NWSL Challenge Cup, and the NHL return to play. WNBA; Wrestling; XFL; More Sports . Felicien, who formally covered the Atlanta Dream for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, has been encouraged by the increase in WNBA engagement heading into this season. The game took place on a weekday on ESPN (rather than ESPN2) and had no football or NBA competition. The workplace benefits historically marginalized groups enjoy from unionization are well-documented. A WNBA roster has a maximum of 12 players, whereas an NBA roster has a maximum of 15 players and a minimum of 12. northern california donation request, ketu represents which animal, midwest slang translation,