The 2025 WNBA Finals between the Las Vegas Aces and Phoenix Mercury is posting its highest viewership in over two decades, continuing a trend of massive audience growth and cementing the league's place as a premier sports property.
Ratings slam dunk: The series is averaging 1.5 million viewers, but the opener set the tone with a massive 1.9 million viewers on ESPN, a 62% jump from last year and the biggest audience for a Game 1 since 1997. The surge follows the league’s most-watched regular season ever.
The fine print: While ratings for Games 2 and 3 saw slight dips, the overall postseason is still averaging 1.2 million viewers, up nearly 15% from 2024. The numbers are also getting a boost from Nielsen's updated methodology, but the growth isn't just a technicality.
A new benchmark: The league just cleared a new historic milestone, with more than a million viewers tuning in for eight consecutive championship games—the longest such streak in WNBA history.
The record-breaking numbers prove the WNBA's growth is not just a momentary spike but a sustained arrival into the top tier of sports entertainment.
Also on our radar: The WNBA's success is part of a wider boom in live sports viewership, as its stars expand their cultural footprint into high fashion and legends from other women's sports launch new ventures to capitalize on the momentum.
