The WNBA's opening weekend was a mixed bag, with some milestones and a slight dip in viewership compared to last year. The Wings-Fever game, featuring the top three draft picks, averaged 1.4 million viewers on ABC, down from last year's Clark-Reese showdown but still impressive. The Mercury-Aces rematch was the second game of the doubleheader, averaging 1.2 million viewers, a decline from last year's Aces-Liberty game. Overall, the doubleheader averaged 1.85 million viewers, a slight increase from the previous year's doubleheader. These numbers reflect a trend in women's sports, where the early rounds of the NCAA women's basketball tournament also saw a decline but remained historically high. ION's Opening Night doubleheader saw a 41% drop in viewers, while the early window game saw a 35% decrease. The late window game between the Valkyries and Storm had a 39% decline in viewership. The league's new broadcast partners, USA Network, saw a strong debut with the Aces-Sparks game, averaging 529,000 viewers. However, the network's Wednesday doubleheader figures are not yet available. The WNBA's growth in viewership is notable, especially considering the recent changes in Nielsen's methodology for estimating viewership. As the league continues to evolve, it will be interesting to see how these numbers change and whether the WNBA can maintain its momentum and attract even more viewers in the future.
