The WNBA is experiencing an unprecedented surge in popularity, with the 2024 season seeing record-breaking attendance and viewership numbers not witnessed in 26 years. Since tipping off its 28th season May 14, the league has enjoyed the highest-attended opening month in decades and the most-watched start across all its broadcast networks, including ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, CBS, ION and NBA TV.

Approximately 400,000 fans attended WNBA games from the start of the season through the end of May, marking the most substantial attendance for this period since 1998. Over half of all WNBA games during this time were sellouts, a 156% increase from last year. Arenas were filled to a 94% capacity, up 17% from the previous season. The surge in attendance highlights the growing interest and investment in women’s basketball.

Viewership numbers have similarly skyrocketed. WNBA games are averaging 1.32 million viewers across ABC, ESPN, ESPN2 and CBS, nearly tripling last season’s average of 462,000 viewers. Several individual network highlights illustrate this trend:

  • The Opening Night matchup between Caitlin Clark’s Indiana Fever and the Connecticut Sun on ESPN2 averaged 2.12 million viewers, peaking at 2.34 million, making it the most-watched WNBA game on Disney platforms ever.
  • The Fever vs. the New York Liberty game on ABC averaged 1.71 million viewers, the highest viewership for a WNBA game on ABC and the second-highest on Disney networks.
  • ESPN’s coverage of the Sun vs. Fever game averaged 1.56 million viewers, the most-viewed WNBA game on ESPN.
  • CBS’s first game of the season, featuring the Liberty vs. the Minnesota Lynx, drew 704,000 viewers, setting a new record for the network.

ION and NBA TV also set new viewership records. ION’s broadcast of the Fever vs. the Los Angeles Sparks May 24 averaged 724,000 viewers, while NBA TV’s airing of the Sparks vs. the Fever May 28 reached 356,000 viewers, both record highs for the respective networks.

WNBA’s growing popularity also expanding to social media, merchandise

Caitlin Clark poses with WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert after she is selected with the number one overall pick to the Indiana Fever in the 2024 WNBA Draft.
© Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

The WNBA’s growing attendance and popularity is also reflected in digital engagement and merchandise sales. WNBA App monthly active users increased by 613% year-over-year, and League Pass subscriptions more than tripled in the first two weeks of the season, with the highest average minutes watched in league history. WNBAStore.com reported a 756% increase in overall transactions compared to the same period last year, setting a record for single-season sales.

The league’s Chief Growth Officer, Colie Edison, expressed optimism about the WNBA’s trajectory.

“What’s happening now in women’s basketball is confirmation of what we’ve always known: The demand is there, and women’s sports is a valuable investment. We’re encouraged by growing engagement across all our verticals, especially as we welcome new and diverse audiences into our fandom,” Edison stated in a press release from the league.

The WNBA’s social media presence also experienced a significant boost, with 157 million video views through the first week of the season, up 380% from last year, making it the most viewed WNBA tip-off week on social media ever.