New Women’s Basketball League Draws Strong Initial Viewership
Unrivaled,the new winter 3×3 professional basketball league co-founded by WNBA stars Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart,debuted with strong viewership numbers.
the league’s opening game between stewart’s Mist Basketball Club and Collier’s Lunar Owls Basketball Club averaged 313,000 viewers on TNT Sports, peaking at 364,000 viewers. The second game, featuring Rhyne Howard’s vinyl Basketball Club against Chelsea Gray’s Rose Basketball Club, drew an average of 311,000 viewers. Both games are the most-watched women’s basketball games ever aired on TNT Sports.
According to sports Media Watch, Unrivaled’s opening games outperformed the average viewership of last year’s WNBA regular season games on cable by 50%, excluding games involving Caitlin Clark.
Beyond TV Ratings: A Holistic View of Fan Engagement
While viewership is a key metric, unrivaled officials emphasize the importance of a broader view of fan engagement.
“It’s not fully indicative of what is the overall fan interest as there’s so many ways to consume leagues and teams and highlights,” said league president Alex Bazzell.
David Levy, an Unrivaled investor and former head of Turner Sports, highlighted additional metrics like social media engagement, merchandise sales, and content consumption.
Unrivaled reported extraordinary social media reach,with content from its first weekend across Bleacher Report platforms generating 31 million views. Content on Bleacher Report’s B/R W Sports TikTok also performed well, exceeding the platform’s average TikTok posts by 59% this month.
Player Experience and Long-Term Vision
Collier and Stewart conceived Unrivaled as a viable alternative for WNBA players during their overseas offseasons, prioritizing player experience. The league boasts 36 of the top WNBA players, including 22 All-Stars, and offers the highest average salary in women’s professional sports history – over $200,000 for the 10-week season – with players also receiving equity in the league.
Looking ahead,the league’s long-term success hinges on sustaining momentum beyond the initial excitement.
Media reporter Richard Deitsch suggests that maintaining an average viewership of 300,000 viewers or more throughout the season would be a positive sign. He also notes the potential impact of adding star player Caitlin Clark to the roster for the 2026 season.
The second week of Unrivaled games begins Friday at 7:15 p.m. ET.
What were the viewership numbers for Unrivaled’s opening games,adn how do they compare to previous women’s basketball broadcasts on TNT Sports?
New Women’s Basketball League Draws Strong Initial Viewership
Unrivaled,the new winter 3×3 professional basketball league co-founded by WNBA stars Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart,debuted with strong viewership numbers.
the league’s opening game between stewart’s Mist Basketball Club and Collier’s Lunar Owls Basketball Club averaged 313,000 viewers on TNT Sports, peaking at 364,000 viewers. The second game, featuring Rhyne Howard’s vinyl Basketball Club against Chelsea Grey’s Rose Basketball Club, drew an average of 311,000 viewers. Both games are the most-watched women’s basketball games ever aired on TNT Sports.
According to sports Media Watch, Unrivaled’s opening games outperformed the average viewership of last year’s WNBA regular season games on cable by 50%, excluding games involving Caitlin Clark.
Beyond TV Ratings: A Holistic View of Fan Engagement
While viewership is a key metric, unrivaled officials emphasize the importance of a broader view of fan engagement.
“It’s not fully indicative of what is the overall fan interest as there’s so many ways to consume leagues and teams and highlights,” said league president Alex Bazzell.
David Levy, an Unrivaled investor and former head of Turner Sports, highlighted additional metrics like social media engagement, merchandise sales, and content consumption.
Unrivaled reported extraordinary social media reach,with content from its first weekend across Bleacher Report platforms generating 31 million views. Content on bleacher Report’s B/R W sports TikTok also performed well, exceeding the platform’s average TikTok posts by 59% this month.
Player Experience and Long-Term Vision
Collier and Stewart conceived Unrivaled as a viable option for WNBA players during their overseas offseasons, prioritizing player experience. The league boasts 36 of the top WNBA players, including 22 All-Stars, and offers the highest average salary in women’s professional sports history – over $200,000 for the 10-week season – with players also receiving equity in the league.
Looking ahead,the league’s long-term success hinges on sustaining momentum beyond the initial excitement.
Media reporter Richard Deitsch suggests that maintaining an average viewership of 300,000 viewers or more throughout the season would be a positive sign. He also notes the potential impact of adding star player Caitlin Clark to the roster for the 2026 season.
The second week of Unrivaled games begins Friday at 7:15 p.m. ET.
Q&A
Q: How did Unrivaled’s opening weekend viewership compare to the WNBA?
A: Unrivaled’s opening games outperformed the average viewership of last year’s WNBA regular season games on cable by a significant 50%,excluding games featuring Caitlin Clark.
Q: What metrics beyond TV ratings are important for Unrivaled’s success?
A: The league is also focused on social media engagement,merchandise sales,and content consumption to gauge overall fan interest.
Q: How does Unrivaled prioritize player experience?
A: The league offers the highest average salary in women’s professional sports history — over $200,000 for the 10-week season – and players also receive equity in the league. It’s designed to be a desirable alternative for WNBA players during their offseasons.
Q: What’s next for Unrivaled?
A: Maintaining viewership momentum throughout the season and perhaps adding star players like Caitlin Clark in the future are key to the league’s long-term success.Tune in to Unrivaled games to witness the exciting action and support this new era in women’s basketball.
