The 2024 WNBA season was a historic one on many ranges, and its ending with Recreation 5 within the WNBA Finals between the champion New York Liberty and Minnesota Lynx was the cherry on prime by way of viewership.
This additional time thriller, the place the New York Liberty took down the Lynx, 67-62, to seize the franchise’s first-ever title, was the most-viewed WNBA Finals recreation in 25 years throughout all networks, in line with ESPN, which cited Nielsen information.
The sport, which aired on ESPN, topped out at 3.3 million viewers and was the fourth-most considered WNBA Finals recreation ever throughout all networks ever.
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New York Liberty ahead Jonquel Jones (35) holds up the MVP trophy after defeating the Minnesota Lynx in additional time to win the 2024 WNBA Finals at Barclays Middle. (Wendell Cruz-Imagn Photographs)
This 12 months’s WNBA Finals as a complete noticed a 115% improve in viewership in comparison with final 12 months’s sequence.
It’s no secret the WNBA noticed a large leap in viewership this 12 months largely because of the incoming rookie class headlined by Indiana Fever prime decide Caitlin Clark, Chicago Sky dominant ahead Angel Reese and way more.
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Clark, the WNBA’s Rookie of the Yr, drew many viewers in her two playoff video games with the Fever towards the Connecticut Solar. The primary recreation recorded 1.84 million viewers, whereas Recreation 2 noticed one other report viewers of two.54 million viewers.
The Fever misplaced each video games to the Solar, however contemplating they had been competing with an NFL Sunday — simply because the Liberty and Lynx had been in Recreation 5 of the Finals — exhibits simply how entertaining this season has been.
These Finals had been additionally competing with Recreation 6 of the NLCS, the place the Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the New York Mets to punch their ticket into the World Sequence.
New York Liberty ahead Breanna Stewart (30) appears to be like to publish up towards Minnesota Lynx ahead Napheesa Collier (24) within the fourth quarter throughout recreation 5 of the 2024 WNBA Finals at Barclays Middle. (Wendell Cruz-Imagn Photographs)
The Finals featured the 2 prime playoff seeds within the star-studded No. 1 Liberty, led by WNBA perennial All-Stars Breanna Stewart, Sabrina Ionescu and Jonquel Jones. The No. 2 Lynx, led by Napheesa Collier, gave New York a run in their very own constructing earlier than finally operating out of fuel at Barclays Middle in additional time.
The WNBA’s elevated viewership, in addition to its attendance for video games and engagement on social media and elsewhere, has been spectacular to look at.
And it’s solely anticipated to proceed its regular trajectory upward, as a brand new media rights deal, which was negotiated as a part of the NBA’s personal deal, is price $2.2 billion over 11 seasons.
New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu (20) celebrates after defeating the Minnesota Lynx in additional time to win the 2024 WNBA Finals at Barclays Middle. (Wendell Cruz-Imagn Photographs)
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The league will even be increasing with new groups popping up, with the Golden State Valkyries set to start their inaugural season in 2025. Toronto, which would be the WNBA’s first staff exterior the US, and Portland are additionally set for brand new groups as effectively.
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