The New York Liberty celebrate after winning the 2024 WNBA Championship against the Minnesota Lynx during Game 5 of the 2024 WNBA Finals on October 20, 2024 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
David Sherman | National Basketball Association | fake images
It was a great ending to the 2024 WNBA season.
Game 5 of this year's WNBA Finals between the Minnesota Lynx and the New York Liberty was the most-watched WNBA Finals game in 25 years across all networks, according to ESPN, citing Nielsen data. The game aired on ESPN and peaked at 3.3 million viewers.
The Game 5 viewership is especially impressive considering the competition for attention on Sunday night. Both the National Football League's “Sunday Night Football” and Major League Baseball's National League Championship Series were broadcast at the same time.
Viewership for 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 in general.
This year's Finals were further aided by a close battle between a perennial WNBA power, the Lynx, and a previously non-championship contender, the Liberty. Four of the five games were decided by 5 points or less, and two games, including the final, went to overtime. Liberty ultimately prevailed, winning 67-62 in front of their home crowd.
The impressive viewership caps a WNBA season in which viewership, engagement and attendance increased across the board.
The league also just closed a new media rights deal, which is being 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 terms after the 2028 season, CNBC previously reported.
And there is room to apply for the WNBA: several new teams will debut in the coming seasons, and the Golden State Valkyries will begin play in the 2025 season. Next year there will also be 44 regular-season games instead of 40, as well as a final of seven games instead of five.
The National Women's Basketball Players Association said Monday that it would opt out of the collective bargaining agreement it had previously reached with the league. The current collective bargaining agreement will remain in effect for the 2025 season, according to the Associated Press.
