The 2024 WNBA Finals Deliver Record Ratings For ESPN

The WNBA ratings bonanza continued on ESPN last week, with Game 5 of the WNBA Finals drawing a record number of viewers.

The winner-take-all matchup between the Minnesota Lynx and the New York Liberty drew 2.135 million viewers on ESPN, making it the fourth-most-watched WNBA Finals Game of all time.

ESPN drew record ratings for the WNBA’s Game 5 between the Minnesota Lynx and the New York Liberty. Photo: CNN

ESPN’s audience peaked with 3.3 million viewers, an astoundingly high number for the WNBA.

Ratings Continue to Grow

The Worldwide Leader in Sports saw its audience continue to grow throughout the WNBA Finals. After Game 1 drew 1.1 million viewers, the audience increased for every game in the series.

Across the five games, the 2024 WNBA Finals were up 115% versus the 2023 WNBA Finals. Additionally, all finals games this year are among the top 15 most-viewed games ever across all networks.

A look at the 2024 WNBA Finals ratings. Photo: ESPN

Finally, ESPN’s WNBA Countdown was up 77% year over year.

The WNBA Continues to Explode in Popularity

Since Caitlin Clark arrived in the league, the WNBA has reached new heights in popularity. Earlier this year, the matchup between Clark’s Indiana Fever and Angel Reese’s Chicago Sky drew 2.3 million viewers for ESPN.

The WNBA has exploded in popularity. Photo: Yahoo

As women’s baseball continues to explode in popularity, ESPN is increasingly leaning into the sport. In July, ESPN secured expanded WNBA television rights as part of its new deal 11-year deal with the NBA.

ESPN

With the network heavily invested in the WNBA’s future, it looks like its gambit is already paying off.