2.5M Viewers: Sep25 Fever@Conn (most in 24 yrs); 3.44M: All Star Game (most for WNBA game/event in 27yrs); 2.3M:Jun23 Fever@Sky; 2.45M: WNBA Draft

[Franisdaman]

That's impressive. She's impressive. As I noted previously, money just flies off of her. The W is getting a steal paying her 75K, and Nike is getting a steal paying her 28M over 8 years.

Just think what her annual income is going to be over the next (at least) 8 years:

$3.5M: Nike
?????: Wilson (signature basketballs)
?????: Gatorade (is it in you?)
?????: State Farm
?????: Gainbridge
?????: Panini Trading Cards
?????: Hy-Vee
?????: Bose
?????: Comcast
?????: ShootAWay

 

[Franisdaman]

The largest TV audiences in WNBA history:
(1) 5.04M: June, 1997, the first day of play, Liberty vs Sparks
(2) 3.59M: June 1997, second day of play, Sting vs Mercury
(3) 3.44M: July 20, 2024; WNBA All Star Game

The previous record for a WNBA All-Star Game was 1.44 million for the 2003 game on ABC, the first to air on broadcast television. Last year’s All-Star Game, which also aired in primetime on ABC, had 850,000.

The WNBA All-Star Game easily outdrew the NHL All-Star Game on ABC earlier this year, which aired in the afternoon (1.40M), and also comfortably topped the NASCAR All-Star Race on FS1 (2.57M). The other three major all-star events ranked higher, with the NBA All-Star Game at 5.40 million, NFL Pro Bowl Games at 5.79 million and last week’s MLB All-Star Game at 7.44 million.

WNBA scores biggest audience since inaugural weekend for All-Star Game

The WNBA All-Star Game delivered the league's largest audience since its opening weekend of play, scoring more than three million viewers.

www.sportsmediawatch.com

 

[ZachJump]

Wait until her first finals appearance

 

[Franisdaman]

Wait until her first finals appearance

3.44M viewers seems good for the WNBA All Star Game but compare that to Iowa's 6 game 2024 NCAA Tournament run:

3.23M viewers vs Holy Cross
4.9M.....vs W Virginia
6.87M...vs Colorado
12.3M..,.vs LSU
14.4M....vs UConn
18.9M....vs South Carolina (All-Time College WBB Record)

 

[Franisdaman]

 

[Franisdaman]

 

[hawkeye_wx]

This is kinda crazy.

"The game was the most-watched in the history of the Seattle Storm, a franchise in its 25th season that has won four WNBA titles. The previous high was 1.25 million for a 2002 playoff game against the Sparks on NBC."

 

[Franisdaman]

This is kinda crazy.

"The game was the most-watched in the history of the Seattle Storm, a franchise in its 25th season that has won four WNBA titles. The previous high was 1.25 million for a 2002 playoff game against the Sparks on NBC."

just tells you how uninterested Americans have been in the WNBA....until now....

 

[Franisdaman]

 

[Franisdaman]

 

[Franisdaman]

Last Weekend Viewership Numbers:

Fri, Aug 16 (on ION):
Lynx/Fever: 1.219M
Sun/Wings: 485K

Sat, Aug 17 (CBS):
Liberty/Aces: 874K
Lynx/Mystics: 577K

Sun, Aug 18 (ABC):
Storm/Fever: 2.232M


This is discussed at the 4 minute mark here:

 

[Franisdaman]

Sat Aug 24th's Fever-Lynx game on NBA TV was the 16th WNBA game this season to set a network record.

 

[Franisdaman]

 

[Franisdaman]

The entire paragraphs follow:





The paragraphs cut off above:

 

[Hawksbyamillion]

I look forward to reading a book one day that goes into detail about all that transpired for her while at Iowa and then in the wnba.

 

[Franisdaman]

I look forward to reading a book one day that goes into detail about all that transpired for her while at Iowa and then in the wnba.

my gosh, you know it would sell like hot cakes.....everything surrounding CC does....

 

[Hawksfor3]

I look forward to reading a book one day that goes into detail about all that transpired for her while at Iowa and then in the wnba.

#1 Best Seller.

 

[Hawksbyamillion]

my gosh, you know it would sell like hot cakes.....everything surrounding CC does....

No kidding. Where can I buy stock on her?

 

[Franisdaman]

 

[Franisdaman]

good story.

 

[Franisdaman]

 

[Franisdaman]

 

[Tenacious E]

I wonder what the numbers were for the Dream game on Sunday. You had to work to find that game, and it was competing with the NFL. In our house, we had the fever on the main tv and the NFL on the overflow, with the 4-game pane view. Probably will be their least viewed game this year, but who knows.

 

[Franisdaman]

It's been 21 years.

Check this out:

 

[Franisdaman]

 

[Franisdaman]

NBA TV has now set a WNBA viewership record 8 separate times this season, all for games involving Clark. Prior to this season, no WNBA game on the network had ever averaged more than 210,000.

The story:

Caitlin Clark, Fever, lift NBA TV to yet another record​

by Jon Lewis
Sep 12, 2024

Las Vegas Aces center A'ja Wilson (22) blocks Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) on Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024, during a game between the Indiana Fever and the Las Vegas Aces at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The Aces defeated the Fever, 86-75. © Grace Smith/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images





If Caitlin Clark is playing on NBA TV, chances are that the network drew its largest ever WNBA audience.

Wednesday’s Aces-Fever WNBA regular season game averaged a 0.39 rating and 678,000 viewers on NBA TV, marking the largest WNBA audience ever on the network. The previous high was set earlier this month by a Fever-Wings game on the Sunday of Labor Day weekend (652K).

NBA TV has now set a WNBA viewership record eight separate times this season, all for games involving Clark. Prior to this season, no WNBA game on the network had ever averaged more than 210,000. (NBA TV became Nielsen rated in 2010.)

Including NBA games, the Aces’ win was the most-watched game on NBA TV since Game 5 of the 2023 Heat-Bucks first round NBA playoff series, which Miami won to complete a rare #8 over #1 upset (934K). WNBA games — specifically those involving Caitlin Clark — account for the top two, three of the top four, and five of the top ten audiences on NBA TV over that span.

(The all-time record for any game on NBA TV remains 2.6 million for a 2016 Warriors-Spurs game in which Golden State tied the then-record for wins in an NBA season, 72.)

Head-to-head, Aces-Fever more-than-tripled ESPN’s Baseball Tonight whiparound show in the same window (222K).

In Wednesday’s nightcap, Storm-Sparks lagged behind with a 0.08 and 124,000.

In other WNBA action, ESPN/ABC finished its WNBA season with an average of 1.2 million viewers — easily the most-watched regular season ever on the network and an increase of 170% from last year. The network’s season finale, an Aces-Liberty WNBA Finals rematch on the opening Sunday of the NFL season, was on the low side with just 277,000.

Caitlin Clark, Fever, lift NBA TV to yet another record

For the eighth time this season, Caitlin Clark and the Fever delivered the largest WNBA audience ever on NBA TV.

www.sportsmediawatch.com

 

[UpstreamHawkeye]

NBA TV has now set a WNBA viewership record 8 separate times this season, all for games involving Clark. Prior to this season, no WNBA game on the network had ever averaged more than 210,000.

The story:

Caitlin Clark, Fever, lift NBA TV to yet another record​

by Jon Lewis
Sep 12, 2024

Las Vegas Aces center A'ja Wilson (22) blocks Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) on Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024, during a game between the Indiana Fever and the Las Vegas Aces at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The Aces defeated the Fever, 86-75. © Grace Smith/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images





If Caitlin Clark is playing on NBA TV, chances are that the network drew its largest ever WNBA audience.

Wednesday’s Aces-Fever WNBA regular season game averaged a 0.39 rating and 678,000 viewers on NBA TV, marking the largest WNBA audience ever on the network. The previous high was set earlier this month by a Fever-Wings game on the Sunday of Labor Day weekend (652K).

NBA TV has now set a WNBA viewership record eight separate times this season, all for games involving Clark. Prior to this season, no WNBA game on the network had ever averaged more than 210,000. (NBA TV became Nielsen rated in 2010.)

Including NBA games, the Aces’ win was the most-watched game on NBA TV since Game 5 of the 2023 Heat-Bucks first round NBA playoff series, which Miami won to complete a rare #8 over #1 upset (934K). WNBA games — specifically those involving Caitlin Clark — account for the top two, three of the top four, and five of the top ten audiences on NBA TV over that span.

(The all-time record for any game on NBA TV remains 2.6 million for a 2016 Warriors-Spurs game in which Golden State tied the then-record for wins in an NBA season, 72.)

Head-to-head, Aces-Fever more-than-tripled ESPN’s Baseball Tonight whiparound show in the same window (222K).

In Wednesday’s nightcap, Storm-Sparks lagged behind with a 0.08 and 124,000.

In other WNBA action, ESPN/ABC finished its WNBA season with an average of 1.2 million viewers — easily the most-watched regular season ever on the network and an increase of 170% from last year. The network’s season finale, an Aces-Liberty WNBA Finals rematch on the opening Sunday of the NFL season, was on the low side with just 277,000.

Caitlin Clark, Fever, lift NBA TV to yet another record

For the eighth time this season, Caitlin Clark and the Fever delivered the largest WNBA audience ever on NBA TV.

www.sportsmediawatch.com

I'm disappointed. Anything under a 1 million is a disappointment to me. Even on NBA TV.

 

[Tenacious E]

I'm disappointed. Anything under a 1 million is a disappointment to me. Even on NBA TV.

Tonight's rating will be interesting, given the 4 simultaneous games competing for eyeballs, in addition to college football and of course high school football all across the country.

 

[Franisdaman]

Tonight's rating will be interesting, given the 4 simultaneous games competing for eyeballs, in addition to college football and of course high school football all across the country.

it's kinda funny; when the Fever first were on ION TV, people were like, ION???? Never heard of that channel....

 

[Franisdaman]

Compare WNBA viewership to NCAA WBB viewership:

 

[Franisdaman]

 

[UpstreamHawkeye]

View embedded media

I still have hope that Sunday's game vs Dallas on NBA TV tops 1M. 219 points were scored, after all.

 

[Hawksfor3]

Liberty @ Mystics on NBA TV. FWIW: You can catch the last bit of "The Shining" on AMC.

 

[Franisdaman]

 

[Franisdaman]

 

[Franisdaman]

 

[Franisdaman]

 

[Franisdaman]

Good story.

How Caitlin Clark raised the bar for the WNBA

An examination of Caitlin Clark's impact on the WNBA and whether there is more to the league's success than the star rookie.

www.sportsmediawatch.com

 

[Franisdaman]

 

[Franisdaman]