One of the primary concerns for the WNBA after Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever were eliminated from the playoffs was the potential decrease in TV viewership.
Nevertheless, the league seems pleased with the viewership numbers in the semifinals thus far.
Although it is expected that ratings would drop without Clark, the numbers are significantly higher compared to last season, largely due to the new fans she brought to the WNBA.
WNBA TV ratings have been strong in the playoffs, even without Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever, but they still can’t crack 1 million viewers.
(David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images)
Many anticipated that most of these new viewers would stop watching once Clark’s season ended, but surprisingly, they have not.
The semifinal game between the New York Liberty and Las Vegas Aces on Sunday, a rematch of last year’s championship, attracted an average of nearly one million viewers despite competing with the NFL.
The viewership numbers for all semifinal games this year have been consistent, with the Lynx-Sun game seeing a notable decline from Game 3 on Friday night.
While Clark and the Fever drew almost double the audience in the first round, these current numbers are still impressive for the league.
This season’s semifinal games between the Liberty and Aces have outperformed all games from last year’s championship series, despite featuring the same teams.
The highest-rated finals game last year averaged 890,00 viewers, whereas all semifinal games this year have surpassed the 900K mark.
Sabrina Ionescu and the New York Liberty eliminating the Las Vegas Aces in four games delivered strong TV ratings for the WNBA, even without Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever.
(Wendell Cruz/Imagn Images)
Despite the strong viewership, none of the playoff games without Clark have reached the one-million viewer mark set by the Indiana Fever.
According to Sports Media Watch, of the 26 WNBA games that surpassed one million viewers this season, 22 featured Caitlin Clark, showing her positive impact on women’s basketball at all levels.
The increasing audience for this year’s semifinals compared to last year’s finals can largely be attributed to Clark joining the league this season.
Having Caitlin Clark in the WNBA has been a significant victory for the league, and she continues to attract viewers even after her remarkable rookie season concluded.
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