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Record-Breaking Viewership for WNBA Game
In a historic moment for women’s basketball, ESPN recently aired the Connecticut Sun’s game against the Indiana Fever, featuring the highly anticipated WNBA debut of star player Caitlin Clark. This broadcast achieved the highest viewership numbers for a WNBA game on the network, marking a significant milestone for the league.
The matchup culminated in a resounding 92-71 victory for the Sun over the Fever, captivating audiences across ESPN2, ESPN+, and Disney+. The game attracted an average of 2.1 million viewers, peaking at 2.3 million viewers during the period from 7:45 p.m. to 7:59 p.m. Such impressive figures surpassed ESPN’s previous viewership record set during a Phoenix Mercury-Connecticut Sun game in 2004 during Diana Taurasi’s rookie season.
Surge in Viewership and League Interest
The subsequent game between the Phoenix Mercury and the two-time defending champion Las Vegas Aces garnered an average of 464,000 viewers. Overall, the two games combined drew an average viewership of 1.28 million, representing a remarkable 192% increase over the league’s average viewership from the previous year for ESPN broadcasts.
Caitlin Clark’s transition from her record-breaking NCAA career at Iowa to the WNBA has undoubtedly been a driving force behind this newfound popularity. With her stellar performance setting the NCAA all-time scoring record, Clark captured the attention of a record 18.9 million viewers during the national championship game with the Iowa Hawkeyes, despite their loss to unbeaten South Carolina.
Clark’s much-anticipated arrival in the WNBA has sparked a surge in interest and excitement for the league. The WNBA draft experienced record viewership, and multiple teams have already relocated their games to larger arenas in response to the heightened demand for tickets to witness Clark’s exceptional talent on the court.
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