WNBA Scores Significant Viewership Growth On ESPN, ABC During 2022 Season
Tuesday, September 20, 2022 at 08:02PM By Barry Janoff
September 20, 2022: Calling it a “year of monumental growth,” ESPN said that its expanded coverage of the WNBA scored several major milestones during the just-concluded 2022 season.
Disney siblings ESPN and ABC televised 49 games from Tip-Off week through the conclusion of the WNBA Finals on Sept. 18, when the Las Vegas Aces claimed the first league championship in franchise history.
Along the way, viewership marks were set during the regular season, All-Star Game, WNBA Draft and post-season.
The WNBA itself experienced several seminal events during the season, including the retirement of Sue Bird and Sylvia Fowles and the on-going focus on Brittney Griner, who has been detained in Russia since February.
ESPN said the full 2022 season — including regular season and post-season — was the most-viewed WNBA campaign since 2006, averaging 412,000 viewers (49 games), up 22% form 2021.
The Aces-Seattle Storm regular season finale on ABC averaged 835,000 — the most-viewed WNBA game across all networks since May 17, 2008.
In addition, ESPN social platforms “doubled the number of WNBA-focused social posts across the company’s various accounts in 2022, including 1.1 billion impressions, a 20% increase over 2021; and more than 193 million total video views, a 90% jump from the prior year.
In June, ESPN’s Around The Rim women’s basketball podcast transitioned to a new weekly video series on ESPN’s YouTube channel and focused exclusively on the WNBA, with ESPN WNBA analyst/host LaChina Robinson.
“The 2022 WNBA season on Disney Networks was a year of monumental growth – and we feel it is just the beginning,” Ashley O’Connor, ESPN senior director, programming and acquisitions, said via the network, which has aired WNBA games since the league’s inaugural season in 1997.
“ESPN will continue to look for even more ways to elevate and showcase the incredible women of the WNBA.”
As the exclusive home of the WNBA post-season, Disney Networks televised 49 games as part of the league’s new expanded playoff format.
After 23 games, the 2022 post-season averaged 456,000 viewers — up 22% over 2021’s post-season — making it the most-viewed WNBA post-season since 2007.
Among the other WNBA on ESPN viewership milestones in 2022:
• Most-viewed regular season since 2008. The WNBA on ESPN presented by Google season (25 games across Disney networks) averaged 372,000 viewers, a 20% increase versus 2021.
• Most viewed opening round playoffs since 2007, up 50% from the first and second rounds last year, averaging 392,000 over 10 games
• Most-viewed semi-final round since 2014, averaging 488,000 viewers (nine games), up 45% from 2021.
• Most-viewed All-Star Game since 2015. The 2022 AT&T WNBA All-Star Game on ABC averaged 734,000 viewers, up 53% from 2021’s All-Star Game.
• Most-viewed WNBA Draft since 2004. The 2022 WNBA Draft Presented by State Farm averaged 403,000 viewers, up 20% from 2021.
“We have had a strong relationship with the league since its inception in 1996 and look forward to collaborating together for many years to come,” said O’Connor.
Engelbert: WNBA Building Media, Marketing, Fan Momentum
WNBA Future: More Teams, Games, Money
Back to Home Page