WNBA rookies draw near-record crowds, record TV ratings in first month of season – Chicago Tribune

Lina Portman4 weeks ago

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NEW YORK — The first month of the WNBA season attracted its highest attendance since the league's second season in 1998 and the best television audiences in its history, the WNBA announced Tuesday.

The numbers are the latest evidence of the WNBA's growing popularity since it added high-profile recruits, including Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever, Angel Reese of the Chicago Sky and Cameron Brink of the Los Angeles Sparks, all of whom attracted a large audience playing at the university.

On ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, CBS, ION and NBA TV, WNBA games average 1.32 million viewers, almost triple last season's average of 462,000, it was announced Tuesday. the league.

“What’s happening in women’s basketball right now is confirmation of what we’ve always known: The demand is there and women’s sports are a valuable investment,” said Colie Edison, WNBA chief growth officer. “We are encouraged by the growing engagement across all of our verticals, especially as we welcome new and diverse audiences into our fandom. The WNBA continues to experience sustained growth as our league capitalizes on this increased momentum.

The WNBA ended May having sold out more than half of its games, more than double the number of sold-out games last year. About 400,000 fans attended the games, the most in the first month in 26 years.

Arenas were filled to 94% capacity, an increase of 17% from last year, the league said. Some games have been moved to larger arenas to accommodate increased fan interest, such as Clark and the Fever played at the Washington Wizards' downtown arena in front of 20,333 fans last Friday night instead of the usual venue of the Mystics, which can accommodate 4,200 people.

On the television side, the WNBA said it saw a 96% increase in Hispanic viewers and a 67% increase in Black viewers.

Merchandise sales increased 236% over the same period last year, with Clark, Reese and Brink ranking in the top five for jersey sales during the first week of the season.