The Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) is on the rise — 2023 saw the team reach its best viewership in 20- years. Now, the league is preparing for next season, set to begin in May.
According to ESPN, Game 4 brought-in 889,000 viewers and an increase by 124%, marking the most-watched post-season game in 16 years. Attendance was up 124% from Game 4, peaking at 1.3 million viewers.
In terms of the whole season, viewership was booming; regular season, playoffs, and finals averaged 453,900 viewers, making it the most-watched full season on ESPN in 18 years. The finals, presented by YouTube TV on ESPN platforms, raked-in 728,000 viewers. The company also saw a jump on social media, with 31.3 million engagements — a 103% increase from the previous year.
The 2024 WNBA season kicks-off at May 14. The league will see each of the 12 teams play 40 regular-season games, alike this past season. The two-time WNBA defending champion Las Vegas Aces will host Phoenix Mercury on opening night.
The WNBA Commissioner’s Cup will also include a new format, including a two-week stretch in June where the league’s schedule will consist of entirely Commissioner’s Cup games. The regular season will also include a break from July 21 through August 14 when WNBA stars will represent their respective countries in the Summer 2024 Olympic Games.
“We eagerly anticipate tipping off the 2024 season and building on the success of last season, our most-watched in 21 years and a record-setter for social media engagement, digital consumption, All-Star merchandise sales and sports betting,” WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said in a statement. “Free agency and the 2024 WNBA Draft are sure to create excitement, and the new format to the Commissioner’s Cup will provide fans a great opportunity to see the best players in the world compete for bragging rights and prize money early in the season.”
Fans can find tickets via the WNBA’s official website. Tickets are also available via MEGASeats (use code TICKETNEWS for 10% off your order), StubHub, or Ticket Club, where readers can obtain a free membership and avoid service fees with the code TICKETNEWS.
See the schedule for WNBA’s opening week below:
Day Date Visitor Home Local Time Eastern Time
Tue. May 14 New York Washington 7:00 p.m. 7:00 p.m.
Tue. May 14 Indiana Connecticut 8:00 p.m. 8:00 p.m.
Tue. May 14 Phoenix Las Vegas 7:00 p.m. 10:00 p.m.
Tue. May 14 Minnesota Seattle 7:00 p.m. 10:00 p.m.
Wed. May 15 Chicago Dallas 7:00 p.m. 8:00 p.m.
Wed. May 15 Atlanta Los Angeles 8:00 p.m. 10:00 p.m.
Thur. May 16 New York Indiana 7:00 p.m. 7:00 p.m.
Fri. May 17 Washington Connecticut 7:30 p.m. 7:30 p.m.
Fri. May 17 Seattle Minnesota 8:30 p.m. 9:30 p.m.
Sat. May 18 Indiana New York 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m.
Sat. May 18 Los Angeles Las Vegas 12:00 p.m. 3:00 p.m.
Sat. May 18 Chicago Dallas 7:00 p.m. 8:00 p.m.
Sat. May 18 Atlanta Phoenix 7:00 p.m. 10:00 p.m.
Sun. May 19 Seattle Washington 3:00 p.m. 3:00 p.m.
