On Friday night, ION attracted 1.14 million viewers for regionalized WNBA games, marking its highest audience this season and the network’s seventh-best overall WNBA viewership window. This strong performance was notable as star guard Caitlin Clark of the Fever did not play due to injury. The increased audience demonstrates the WNBA’s growing appeal independent of Clark’s presence. The Wings also participated in this broadcast window, featuring guard Paige Bueckers, and this game achieved the best viewership on any network this season involving the Wings.

Other Notable Sports Audiences This Week

Elsewhere in sports, ESPN recorded a highly successful Day 1 of Wimbledon on Monday, averaging 539,000 viewers between 6 a.m. and 4 p.m. ET. This figure represents ESPN’s best opening day for Wimbledon to date and a 37% increase compared to the previous year. Additionally, Formula 1 racing across ESPN, ABC, and ESPN2 has seen a 6% rise in viewership this season. The Austrian Grand Prix on Sunday set a new record with just over 1.1 million viewers, surpassing last year’s peak of 1.09 million, pushing the current race average to about 1.3 million viewers.

Group stage matches of the FIFA Club World Cup averaged 363,000 viewers across TNT, TBS, and truTV, increasing to 411,000 when afternoon matches were excluded. These figures exclude streaming audiences on DAZN, which offers free coverage of all matches. Comparisons with other tournaments are challenging because the UEFA Champions League group stage mainly streams on Paramount+, whose viewership is not tracked by Nielsen.

Implications of WNBA’s Rising Broadcast Numbers

The strong viewership numbers for the WNBA on ION, particularly without Caitlin Clark playing, highlight a significant growth trend for the league as its audience broadens beyond reliance on individual star players. This growing fanbase offers promising prospects for future broadcasts, sponsorships, and the overall visibility of women’s professional basketball in the United States. With athletes like Paige Bueckers gaining attention alongside established stars, the WNBA continues to solidify its presence in the competitive sports media landscape.