Pay us what you owe us.

[Roy H.]

The WNBA All-Star Game audience dropped 36% on ABC this year as Caitlin Clark was sidelined with an injury, but the audience is still the second-best on record for the event. ABC drew 2.2 million viewers on Saturday night, which is down from a record 3.44 million last year. Before 2025 and 2024 though, only two WNBA All-Star Games topped 1 million viewers (1.25 million in 2005 and 1.44 million in 2003). The WNBA All-Star Game is well below other similar events like the MLB All-Star Game, NBA All-Star Game or Pro Bowl. However, the NHL All-Star Game has drawn over 2.2 million viewers just once since 2004 (2.26 million in 2017).

Interesting data point regarding how much of the WNBA's recent surge is due to Clark versus how much the league's popularity has grown even in her absence.

[Moranis]

The WNBA All-Star Game audience dropped 36% on ABC this year as Caitlin Clark was sidelined with an injury, but the audience is still the second-best on record for the event. ABC drew 2.2 million viewers on Saturday night, which is down from a record 3.44 million last year. Before 2025 and 2024 though, only two WNBA All-Star Games topped 1 million viewers (1.25 million in 2005 and 1.44 million in 2003). The WNBA All-Star Game is well below other similar events like the MLB All-Star Game, NBA All-Star Game or Pro Bowl. However, the NHL All-Star Game has drawn over 2.2 million viewers just once since 2004 (2.26 million in 2017).

Interesting data point regarding how much of the WNBA's recent surge is due to Clark versus how much the league's popularity has grown even in her absence.

It is interesting.  Clark was around all weekend and one of the teams was called Team Clark, so I wonder how many people tuned in expecting to see her and then if those people stayed tuned in or turned the game off.  Like do they have the rolling number quarter by quarter.  Like did it start at 3 million and end at 1.5 million or something.  Did it hold steady or did viewership increase as the game went on.  That would be far more interesting. 

[Moranis]

The Skills contest was way up on viewership, so that is a good sign for the league. 

[bdm860]

The WNBA All-Star Game audience dropped 36% on ABC this year as Caitlin Clark was sidelined with an injury, but the audience is still the second-best on record for the event. ABC drew 2.2 million viewers on Saturday night, which is down from a record 3.44 million last year. Before 2025 and 2024 though, only two WNBA All-Star Games topped 1 million viewers (1.25 million in 2005 and 1.44 million in 2003). The WNBA All-Star Game is well below other similar events like the MLB All-Star Game, NBA All-Star Game or Pro Bowl. However, the NHL All-Star Game has drawn over 2.2 million viewers just once since 2004 (2.26 million in 2017).

Interesting data point regarding how much of the WNBA's recent surge is due to Clark versus how much the league's popularity has grown even in her absence.

It is interesting.  Clark was around all weekend and one of the teams was called Team Clark, so I wonder how many people tuned in expecting to see her and then if those people stayed tuned in or turned the game off.  Like do they have the rolling number quarter by quarter.  Like did it start at 3 million and end at 1.5 million or something.  Did it hold steady or did viewership increase as the game went on.  That would be far more interesting.

I always wonder this about the NBA. All-Star viewership continues to drop, and the #1 complaint is that players don't take it seriously. So how many people tune in at first, see the teams trading logo 3's, then turn it off?

[bdm860]

The WNBA All-Star Game audience dropped 36% on ABC this year as Caitlin Clark was sidelined with an injury, but the audience is still the second-best on record for the event. ABC drew 2.2 million viewers on Saturday night, which is down from a record 3.44 million last year. Before 2025 and 2024 though, only two WNBA All-Star Games topped 1 million viewers (1.25 million in 2005 and 1.44 million in 2003). The WNBA All-Star Game is well below other similar events like the MLB All-Star Game, NBA All-Star Game or Pro Bowl. However, the NHL All-Star Game has drawn over 2.2 million viewers just once since 2004 (2.26 million in 2017).

Interesting data point regarding how much of the WNBA's recent surge is due to Clark versus how much the league's popularity has grown even in her absence.

One small caveat on the All-Star game is that last year was a different, more interesting format, due to the Olympics, and gave a more competitive game. It was Team USA vs WNBA All-Stars. I'm more inclined to watch that than a regular All-Star game.



Another data point that I bet will continue to increase this year is playoff ratings.

Last year, there were a few click-bait headlines that WNBA playoff ratings plummeted last year once Clark was eliminated.

While this was true, that undersells the fact that semi-finals (without Clark) were up 99% from prior year, and the Finals (also without Clark obviously) were up over 100% from the prior year, and has increased for 5 straight years since bottoming out in 2019.

The deciding Game 5 (series was only best of 5) of the WNBA Finals peaked at 3.3m viewers, I believe Clark's most watched WNBA games (All-Star and playoff Game 2) peaked at 3.4m.

When you include Clark, the ratings growth is insane.

When you exclude Clark, the ratings growth is still pretty good (just not as good as with Clark).

And it's looking like a Liberty-Lynx rematch this year.

I'm betting we'll see Finals ratings increase again (though might be muddied going from a best-of-5 previously to best-of-7 this year).

[Moranis]

The WNBA All-Star Game audience dropped 36% on ABC this year as Caitlin Clark was sidelined with an injury, but the audience is still the second-best on record for the event. ABC drew 2.2 million viewers on Saturday night, which is down from a record 3.44 million last year. Before 2025 and 2024 though, only two WNBA All-Star Games topped 1 million viewers (1.25 million in 2005 and 1.44 million in 2003). The WNBA All-Star Game is well below other similar events like the MLB All-Star Game, NBA All-Star Game or Pro Bowl. However, the NHL All-Star Game has drawn over 2.2 million viewers just once since 2004 (2.26 million in 2017).

Interesting data point regarding how much of the WNBA's recent surge is due to Clark versus how much the league's popularity has grown even in her absence.

One small caveat on the All-Star game is that last year was a different, more interesting format, due to the Olympics, and gave a more competitive game. It was Team USA vs WNBA All-Stars. I'm more inclined to watch that than a regular All-Star game.



Another data point that I bet will continue to increase this year is playoff ratings.

Last year, there were a few click-bait headlines that WNBA playoff ratings plummeted last year once Clark was eliminated.

While this was true, that undersells the fact that semi-finals (without Clark) were up 99% from prior year, and the Finals (also without Clark obviously) were up over 100% from the prior year, and has increased for 5 straight years since bottoming out in 2019.

The deciding Game 5 (series was only best of 5) of the WNBA Finals peaked at 3.3m viewers, I believe Clark's most watched WNBA games (All-Star and playoff Game 2) peaked at 3.4m.

When you include Clark, the ratings growth is insane.

When you exclude Clark, the ratings growth is still pretty good (just not as good as with Clark).

And it's looking like a Liberty-Lynx rematch this year.

I'm betting we'll see Finals ratings increase again (though might be muddied going from a best-of-5 previously to best-of-7 this year).

This is all true, but all of the extra interest is because of Clark.  We know this because the growth has only been since Clark entered the league.  They didn't see this growth from 22 to 23.  The only meaningful change has been Clark.  Golf saw a very similar effect with Tiger.  Tourneys Tiger played in saw immense growth, but even the ones he skipped still grew.  Tiger grew the game of golf almost by himself.  And that appears to be what Clark is doing for the WNBA. 

[Goldstar88]

The WNBA All-Star Game audience dropped 36% on ABC this year as Caitlin Clark was sidelined with an injury, but the audience is still the second-best on record for the event. ABC drew 2.2 million viewers on Saturday night, which is down from a record 3.44 million last year. Before 2025 and 2024 though, only two WNBA All-Star Games topped 1 million viewers (1.25 million in 2005 and 1.44 million in 2003). The WNBA All-Star Game is well below other similar events like the MLB All-Star Game, NBA All-Star Game or Pro Bowl. However, the NHL All-Star Game has drawn over 2.2 million viewers just once since 2004 (2.26 million in 2017).

Interesting data point regarding how much of the WNBA's recent surge is due to Clark versus how much the league's popularity has grown even in her absence.

One small caveat on the All-Star game is that last year was a different, more interesting format, due to the Olympics, and gave a more competitive game. It was Team USA vs WNBA All-Stars. I'm more inclined to watch that than a regular All-Star game.



Another data point that I bet will continue to increase this year is playoff ratings.

Last year, there were a few click-bait headlines that WNBA playoff ratings plummeted last year once Clark was eliminated.

While this was true, that undersells the fact that semi-finals (without Clark) were up 99% from prior year, and the Finals (also without Clark obviously) were up over 100% from the prior year, and has increased for 5 straight years since bottoming out in 2019.

The deciding Game 5 (series was only best of 5) of the WNBA Finals peaked at 3.3m viewers, I believe Clark's most watched WNBA games (All-Star and playoff Game 2) peaked at 3.4m.

When you include Clark, the ratings growth is insane.

When you exclude Clark, the ratings growth is still pretty good (just not as good as with Clark).

And it's looking like a Liberty-Lynx rematch this year.

I'm betting we'll see Finals ratings increase again (though might be muddied going from a best-of-5 previously to best-of-7 this year).

This is all true, but all of the extra interest is because of Clark.  We know this because the growth has only been since Clark entered the league.  They didn't see this growth from 22 to 23.  The only meaningful change has been Clark.  Golf saw a very similar effect with Tiger.  Tourneys Tiger played in saw immense growth, but even the ones he skipped still grew.  Tiger grew the game of golf almost by himself.  And that appears to be what Clark is doing for the WNBA.

I agree. Not sure how anyone can argue against that.