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The 2024 WNBA season delivers record viewership across ESPN platforms
· Most-viewed WNBA Finals in 25 years, up 115 percent vs. 2023
· Most-viewed regular season ever across ESPN platforms, up 170 percent vs. 2023
· 32 WNBA telecasts across all networks averaged more than 1 million viewers each - 22 of those were on ESPN platforms
· WNBA Countdown up 80 percent vs. 2023
ESPN's presentation of the 2024 WNBA season concludes with record-breaking viewership. This season's broadcasts delivered some of the highest ratings in WNBA history, solidifying the league's continued momentum across ESPN platforms.
WNBA Postseason
As the exclusive home of the WNBA postseason, ESPN platforms televised 22 postseason games with the New York Liberty securing the franchise's first WNBA championship, defeating the Minnesota Lynx in an overtime thriller in Game 5 of the WNBA Finals presented by YouTube TV on Sunday, October 20. The 2024 postseason averaged 1.1 million viewers - up 139 percent over 2023's postseason - making it the most-viewed WNBA postseason in 25 years.
WNBA on ESPN Viewership Milestones in 2024:
· WNBA Finals Presented by YouTube TV concluded as the most-watched Finals in 25 years, averaging 1.6 million viewers, up 115 percent over 2023:
o Each telecast in the five-game series averaged more than 1 million viewers.
o Games 3, 4, and 5 each became the most-viewed WNBA Finals games ever on cable.
o The 2024 WNBA Finals presented by YouTube TV marked the league's eighth Finals to reach a fifth-and-deciding game and the first such series to average at least 1 million viewers. In addition, each of the five games in the 2024 WNBA Finals averaged at least 1 million viewers after none of the 35 games in the seven previous five-game Finals series reached that average.
· The full season (Regular Season, Playoffs and Finals) averaged 1.2 million viewers, the most-watched full season on ESPN platforms ever, and up 155 percent from 2023. P18-34 and Women viewership were up 164 percent and 165 percent year-over-year, respectively.
· 32 WNBA telecasts across all networks (including the 2024 WNBA Draft Presented by State Farm and the 2024 AT&T WNBA All-Star Game) averaged more than 1 million viewers each - 22 of those were on ESPN platforms.
· Most-viewed regular season ever across ESPN platforms: Across 24 games, the 2024 WNBA regular season on ESPN platforms averaged 1.2 million viewers, up 170 percent vs. 2023.
· ESPN was home to the most-watched game of the regular season --- Indiana Fever at Chicago Sky on June 23 --- averaging 2.3 million viewers.
· The 2024 season (Regular Season, Playoffs and Finals) featured the top eleven most-watched WNBA games ever on ESPN, the three most-watched WNBA games ever on ABC (2.2 million, Seattle Storm at Indiana Fever on Aug. 18; 1.8 million, Indiana at Connecticut First Round Game 1 on Sept. 22; 1.7 million, Indiana at New York Liberty on May 18), and the four most-watched WNBA games ever on ESPN2 (2.1 million, Indiana at Connecticut Sun on May 14; 994,000, New York at Las Vegas Semifinals Game 3 on Oct. 4; 984,000, Connecticut at Minnesota Semifinals Game 5 on Oct. 8; 969,000, Las Vegas at New York Semifinals Game 2 on Oct. 1).
· Viewers watched an average of 73 minutes of the 2024 WNBA Finals, the highest time spent ever for the WNBA Finals.
· The 2024 AT&T WNBA All-Star Game on ABC was watched by an average audience of 3.4 million viewers, making it the largest audience ever for a WNBA All-Star Game.
· The 2024 WNBA Draft presented by State Farm on ESPN averaged 2.4 million viewers, up 328% vs. 2023 and the most-viewed WNBA Draft ever.
· WNBA Countdown (Regular Season, Playoffs and Finals) averaged429,000 viewers, up 80 percent vs. 2023.
· Engagement with WNBA-focused posts across ESPN's social media accounts for the entire season (Regular Season, Playoffs, and Finals) was up 413 percent vs 2023, with video views increasing by an impressive 642 percent, year-over-year.
· WNBA-related content on ESPN.com and the ESPN App saw an increase in total unique visitors of 157 percent vs 2023.
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