The Boom In WNBA Popularity

The Boom In WNBA Popularity

Chicago Sky and Indiana Fever on Sunday June 23, 2024 at Wintrust Arena, Chicago, USA // Image: SPP Sport Press Photo. / Alamy Stock Photo

Dan Tracey
Dan Tracey Data Scientist and Football Editor

Writer, analyst, podcaster, Spurs fan. Three out of four is not bad. If there is a data angle, I will find it.

In recent years, WNBA popularity has surged due to increased investment, rising attendance, record franchise valuations, and expanded media coverage. Enhanced female athlete visibility and strategic efforts to attract new audiences have fueled this growth post-Covid-19 hiatus in basketball.

Because of such growth, it was time to find out precisely why the WNBA is seeing such a surge in popularity.

Our analysis of WNBA popularity spans five key areas: attendance trends, franchise values, in-stadium experience, viewership, and market positioning. These insights underscore the league's sustainable growth, highlighting its status as a leading women's sports league.

πŸ€πŸš€ WNBA's Meteoric Rise: Unpacking the Phenomenon πŸ“ˆπŸ‘©β€πŸ¦°
The WNBA is soaring with increased investment, fan turnout, and media buzz! Discover why this league is winning hearts and wallets post-Covid! 🌟

Boom in WNBA Attendance

YearTotalAverage
19971,082,0939,662
19981,629,60210,864
19991,956,28110,189
20002,322,4299,072
20012,323,1619,075
20022,391,9729,344
20032,100,6308,826
20041,903,4278,613
20051,806,3628,174
20061,779,9247,479

The Boom In WNBA Popularity

From its founding in 1997 through the early 2000s, the WNBA experienced a rapid climb in attendance, which suggests a strong initial interest as the league introduced professional women's basketball to the mainstream sports landscape, including basketball betting sites adding WNBA matches to the events menus.

During these years, total attendance grew from over one million to nearly two million, with average attendance per game reaching its peak. This early success can be attributed to factors like novelty, effective marketing, and support from the NBA and corporate sponsors. 

However, getting people through the turnstiles in a new sports league is one thing, keeping them there is another and this is precisely what the WNBA would have learned after the turn of the millennium.

In the mid-2000s, attendance figures began to fluctuate, likely due to economic factors, shifts in media coverage, or changes in fan engagement. 

This period marked a challenge for the WNBA, as it worked to solidify its fan base amid these external pressures. 

In turn, the league responded by introducing fan-oriented initiatives, community outreach, and partnerships, which helped stabilize attendance in the years that followed. 

Fast forward to the decade between 2010 and 2019 and it felt as if the WNBA attendances had found a natural level that was healthy enough to continue into the 2020's and more importantly, build on what they had already built.

That was until Covid decided to have its say and with the 2020 season being wiped out in terms of paying attendance, 10 years of hard work had been nullified almost instaneously.

Which would mean a step-by-step process in terms of putting the WNBA's building blocks back in place and although small steps were made in 2021, there has been a year-on-year increase in average attendance since. 

If we compare the 2022 regular season (as the first normal season post-Covid) to the recently finished 2024 regular season, the average attendance has grown from 5,646 to 9,807. 

More than 4,000 more in attendance on average per regular season WNBA game and when we look at total fans through the turnstiles, it makes for even better reading.

Whereas 1.2m supporters paid to watch a WNBA game in the 2022 regular season, that figure had more than doubled for 2024 and for all the external measures that can be used to signify a league's popularity, there can be no greater measure than paying attendance.

The Franchise Players

FranchiseValue ($ Millions)2023 Revenue ($ Milions)
Las Vegas Aces14017.8
Seattle Storm13517.6
New York Liberty13018
Phoenix Mercury10515
Chicago Sky9512.5
Indiana Fever909.1
Los Angeles Sparks8511.2
Minnesota Lynx8513
Connecticut Sun8012.9
Washington Mystics8011.9

the wnba franchise players graphic

When looking at the current franchise values of the 12 teams that operate within the WNBA, it only further highlights the league's increasing financial strength and value to investors.

The Las Vegas Aces and Seattle Storm, two of the highest-valued franchises, are valued at approximately $140 million and $135 million, respectively. 

This increase in franchise value reflects the WNBA’s improved economic position and growing attractiveness as an investment. 

In addition, these valuations are indicative of the league's ability to generate value beyond traditional revenue streams, accounting for merchandise, sponsorships, and long-term growth prospects. 

Most franchises generate over $10 million in revenue annually, with top teams nearing $18 million - the only exception being the Atlanta Dream who generated $8.8m

This revenue, derived from ticket sales, sponsorships, merchandise, and broadcasting deals, underscores the profitability potential of WNBA franchises.

While it must be noted that the level of sponsorship within the WNBA can be considered as blue-chip.

Corporate sponsorships, such as those with AT&T and Nike have helped rasied the profile of the WNBA in recent years. 

A profile that is futher increased by innovative partnerships with streaming platforms and these offer another sizeable revenue stream for the WNBA franchises.

Considering the values of the current WNBA franchises, it is fair to say that the league's financial outlook can be positive.

In the Crowd

FranchiseStadiumCapacityAverageAverage Capacity Full
Washington MysticsEntertainment and Sports Arena4,2006,542155.75%
Indiana FeverGainbridge Fieldhouse17,27417,03698.62%
Atlanta DreamGateway Center Arena5,0004,74494.88%
Las Vegas AcesMichelob Ultra Arena12,00011,28394.02%
Connecticut SunMohegan Sun Arena9,3238,45190.64%
Dallas WingsCollege Park Center7,0005,91184.44%
Chicago SkyWintrust Arena10,3878,75784.31%
New York LibertyBarclays Center17,73212,73071.79%
Phoenix MercuryFootprint Center17,07110,71562.77%
Seattle StormClimate Pledge Arena18,30011,18461.12%

Another way to measure the league's positive outlook is by looking at the average capacity uptake for each of the 2024 franchises (excluding Washington Mystics - reasons below)

wnba - in the crowd graphic


To do this, we can take a franchise's average attendance for the season, compare this to their capacity and then rank them in a percentage table from top to bottom .

At the top is something of an outlier as the Washington Mystics recorded a capacity uptake of 155% - something that would suggest that they are selling 1.5 tickets for every seat.

However, this can be explained by their moving of their final regular season game to the Capital One Arena instead of their usual Entertainment and Sports Arena home. 

What would usually be a home crowd of 4,200 at most saw 20,711 supporters see the Mystics play home to the Indiana Fever in a new record attendance for the competition.

While it is the Indiana Fever who have the best attendance when taking the Washington Mystics out of the equation.

The Fever are one of many teams are filling their arenas on a regular basis and some franchises have room for growth in fan attendance. 

In addition, teams with larger venues might consider strategies such as targeted promotions or community engagement events to maximize attendance and fill remaining seats - strategies that are largely working.

Not only that, but because of the success that came with the switch of venue for the Washington-based franchises' last regular season game, it could be something which is utilised elsewhere for the 2025 season.

As always, each team’s unique fan culture is evident, with high attendance rates reflecting regional support for women's basketball. 

This is where community initiatives and fan engagement strategies, including meet-and-greet events and youth programs, play a vital role in cultivating loyalty and driving in-stadium attendance.

Therefore, the WNBA will be keen to continue this momentum and the strategy behind it for the next few years as it looks to learn where its natural plateau in popularity will be found. 

The Viewing Figures

YearSeasonTelecasts on ESPN/ESPN2/ABC/CBSAverage viewership
2005RegularUnknown282,000
2006Regular14242,000
2007Regular16221,000
2008Regular13248,000
Playoffs12282,000
2009Regular12269,000
Playoffs13435,000
2010Regular18258,000
Playoffs7370,000
2011Regular11270,000

One of the key measures for popularity in terms of any sporting league will be viewing figures and the outlook certainly looks good for the WNBA.

When looking at the key takeaways for the recently completed 2024 season: 

  • Game 2 between the Indiana Fever and Connecticut Sun drew an average of 2.5 million viewers on ESPN, peaking at 3.4 million.
  • During the regular season, the WNBA reached over 54 million unique viewers across ABC, CBS, ESPN, ESPN2, Ion, and NBA TV.
  • A record 22 regular season games averaged over one million viewers each.
  • ESPN’s average viewership rose 170% year-on-year, reaching 1.19 million.
  • CBS's viewership increased by 86% to an average of 1.1 million, while Ion's rose 133% to 670,000.
  • WNBA social video views more than quadrupled to two billion, with a 252% increase in monthly active users on the WNBA app.
  • In-arena attendance reached a 22-year high at 2.4 million, up 48% year-on-year, averaging 9,807 fans per game.
  • All 12 WNBA teams saw double-digit year-on-year growth in attendance.


While these figures only serve to build on the popularity that has been rising since 2021 season where the playoffs registered average viewing figures of 367,000.

Fast forward to the 2023 season and the average viewership had increased to 505,000 - a percentage increase of 37.6% 

Even if you go back before Covid and compare where the figures were at the 2017 season, the average viewership of 346,000 for the playoffs would equate to an increase of 45.9% 

Unsurprisingly, playoff games attract significantly more viewers than regular season games, emphasizing the heightened fan interest in high-stakes matches. 

While this surge in late-season viewership highlights the WNBA’s ability to capture a larger audience during pivotal moments, aligning with trends seen in other professional sports leagues in North America. 

Not only that, but the rise of streaming platforms has also played a considerable part within the growth of the WNBA and this allows the league to target younger fans who only want to consume their sports content online. 

Prime Position

With the WNBA's TV rights being worth $60m a year annually, the league will be keen to offer broadcasters even more value for their money in the future.

The question like for another sports league is how do they achieve that? 

The answer is likely to lie in the league’s efforts to inspire the next generation through youth programs could be explored as a means of ensuring long-term fan loyalty. 

While it could also mimic the NBA's international footprint by taking games to London and Paris for example and with stars of the men's game already crossing the Atlantic Ocean, do not be surprised if their female counterparts soon follow.

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