WNBA sees record regular-season audience amid Caitlin Clark's rise
Yahoo Sports • 1 min read • Latest: Aug 5, 2026, 8:30 PM
Last updated Aug 5, 2026
The WNBA's television ratings continue to surge thanks to Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever. The league's games on ESPN networks averaged 1.2 million viewers, a 5% increase from last year. The season's top broadcasts featured the Fever, with a recent game against the Minnesota Lynx attracting 2.5 million viewers. This marks ESPN's second most-watched WNBA regular-season game. Ratings for the All-Star Game were also up 44% from last year, reflecting Clark's influence on viewership. Additionally, discussions on transgender athletes during broadcasts have sparked significant attention.
- •WNBA telecasts up 12% from last year
- •Fever-Lynx game averaged 2.5 million viewers
- •All-Star Game ratings increased by 44%
- •ESPN's WNBA games average 1.2 million viewers
- •Cheryl Reeve's comments on transgender athletes create discussion
- 8:30 PMYahoo Sports — ESPN posts second-largest WNBA regular-season audience on record
"The WNBA’s television ratings continue to skyrocket behind the force that is Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever. Clark’s star power has helped the WNBA hold up its end of the bargain in its new 11-year, $2.2 billion media deal. Through the first half of the season, WNBA telecasts were up 12% compared to last year,…
Sources
External linksOriginal reporting and copyright belong to the linked sources. SportsNewsReport.com aggregates and links — it does not republish full articles.
Related Stories
Last 14 days
WNBA•Aug 5, 2026, 9:31 PMSophie Cunningham wants to put focus back on basketball: ‘What are we doing?’- WNBA•Aug 5, 2026, 9:16 PMNWSL commissioner: League ‘continuing to monitor’ transgender athlete debate
WNBA•Aug 5, 2026, 8:45 PMWho won the Kelsey Plum trade? Second-half WNBA storylines to watch + the Cleveland Sirens are here!- WNBA•Aug 5, 2026, 7:46 PMFever's Caitlin Clark, Kelsey Mitchell just accomplished something the WNBA hasn't seen in 15 years
- WNBA•Aug 5, 2026, 7:29 PMIndiana Fever continue to thrive on the court despite constant barrage of off-court distractions
- WNBA•Aug 5, 2026, 5:28 PMSophie Cunningham reveals what Cheryl Reeve told her during pregame conversation
