The Indiana Fever and Chicago Sky continue to make waves in the WNBA with their impressive viewership figures, breaking records yet again during Sunday’s game.
This recent matchup not only captivated basketball fans but also set a new benchmark for viewership, surpassing the already significant numbers from their previous encounter.
Just last week, the game between these two teams attracted the largest television audience for a WNBA regular-season game in 23 years.
However, this week’s game managed to exceed those impressive figures.
The thrilling encounter, which saw the Sky narrowly defeat the Fever 88–87, drew an audience of 2.302 million viewers on ESPN. This viewership slightly outstripped the previous high of 2.25 million viewers on CBS, showcasing a growing interest in women’s basketball.
This season, games featuring Caitlin Clark and the Fever have consistently drawn large audiences. Remarkably, this is the third time a game led by Clark has set a viewership record in the past 23 years. Her WNBA debut in May was a significant draw as well, pulling in 2.13 million viewers.
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While these numbers are extraordinary, they still fall short of the all-time WNBA viewership record. That record was set in 2001 when 2.44 million viewers tuned in to watch the Los Angeles Sparks face off against the Houston Comets on NBC.
Given the current trajectory of this season’s viewership numbers, there is a strong possibility that this longstanding record could be surpassed in 2024.
As the season progresses, anticipation builds for the next encounter between the Sky and the Fever scheduled for August 30.
So far this season, the Fever has claimed victory in two of the three matchups, with the Sky securing a win in their most recent game.
The upcoming game is eagerly awaited, promising not only another intense competition but potentially another historic viewership milestone for the WNBA.
