WNBA Finals Game 5 draws highest viewership in 25 years

It was a big finish for the 2024 WNBA season.

The fifth game of this year’s WNBA Finals between the Minnesota Lynx and the New York Liberty was the most-viewed WNBA finals game in 25 years across all networks, according to ESPN, citing Nielsen data. The game aired on ESPN and topped out at 3.3 million viewers.

The viewership for Game 5 is especially impressive considering the competition for attention Sunday night. The National Football League’s “Sunday Night Football” and Major League Baseball’s National League Championship Series aired at the same time.

Viewership across the entire WNBA Finals series more than doubled compared to last year, a continuation of the growing popularity of the WNBA and women’s sports more broadly.

This year’s finals were helped even more by a close battle between a perennial WNBA powerhouse in the Lynx and a previously championship-less contender in the Liberty. Four of the five games were decided by 5 or fewer points, and two games, including the final, went into overtime. The Liberty eventually prevailed, winning 67-62 in front of their home crowd.

The impressive viewership caps off a WNBA season that saw viewership, engagement and attendance up across the board.

The league is also fresh off a new media rights deal, negotiated as part of the National Basketball Association’s agreement with broadcast partners. The leagues’ new deal is worth $2.2 billion over 11 seasons, with an agreement to reevaluate the terms after the 2028 season, CNBC previously reported.

And there’s room to run for the WNBA: Several new teams will debut over the next couple of seasons, with the Golden State Valkyries beginning play in the 2025 season. Next year will also have 44 regular season games instead of 40, as well as a seven-game finals instead of five.

The Women’s National Basketball Players Association said Monday it would opt out of the collective bargaining agreement it had earlier reached with the league. The current CBA will still be in place for the 2025 season, according to the Associated Press.