WNBA continues to increase viewership with 24% rise
The 2023 WNBA season viewership numbers are coming in, and the league continues to impress. The “Friday Night Spotlight on ION” increased the total WNBA audience by 24% — from 31.5 million unique viewers to 39 million.
The league and The E.W. Scripps Company completed “the first year of a multiyear agreement to televise weekly double-headers in primetime on Fridays during the 2023 regular season on ION.”
“The WNBA and Scripps Sports partnership has proven in its first year that ION is a powerful television platform that significantly increases the audience reach of the league,” said Adam Symson, president and CEO of The E.W. Scripps Company. “We’re looking ahead to next season to bring the athleticism and drama of the WNBA to even more fans, supported by the sponsors and advertisers that want to reach them.”
The 23 games broadcast on ION reached 12.3 million viewers with 6.4 million female viewers, increasing the WNBA female audience by 29%.
“When we partnered with Scripps Sports for the 2023 season, we were hoping their reach would drive WNBA viewership to higher heights, and Scripps overwhelmingly delivered,” said WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert. “New fans found us. Faithful fans embraced the appointment viewing. This success is only going to grow in the future.”
