Four-time WNBA champion Sue Bird shared her thoughts on the reported drop in viewership for the WNBA playoffs after the Indiana Fever, led by Caitlin Clark, were eliminated. The Fever lost to the Connecticut Sun in Game 2 of their first-round series on Sept. 25.
According to ESPN PR, Fever’s elimination game drew a record 2.5 million viewers, marking the largest cable audience in WNBA history.
Since then, viewership has declined. The first three games of the semifinal series, including the Sun vs. the Minnesota Lynx and the New York Liberty vs. Las Vegas Aces game, failed to reach one million viewers.
On Wednesday’s episode of the “A Touch More” podcast, Bird emphasized that the WNBA viewership remains higher than in previous years but expressed frustration at how women’s sports are unfairly scrutinized.
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“Viewership numbers with Caitlin Clark are astronomical,” Bird said. “But the WNBA playoff semi-final games are still breaking records from previous WNBA years, are still cracking a million viewers.”
“These [WNBA viewership] numbers are still really high, and they still show and tell a story of the viewership that is being gained in the WNBA,” she added.
Bird pointed out that the NBA Finals also saw lower numbers this year.
“The reason why it really gets my blood boiling? This last year, the Celtics and the Mavs were in the Finals. That viewership was amazing. Lower than the previous years, lower than when LeBron’s in it, lower than when Steph Curry’s in it, and yet, we don’t hear anyone speaking on the Celtics and the Mavs.”
The 2024 NBA Finals averaged 11.31 million viewers over five games, down from 11.65 million in 2023 and 12.40 million in 2022.
Other records from Caitlin Clark’s last game of the 2024 season
Caitlin Clark had a standout performance in her playoff elimination game, recording 25 points, nine assists, six rebounds, one steal, and a block while playing all 40 minutes.
She shot 10-for-23 from the field, including 3-for-12 from beyond the arc, and was a perfect 2-for-2 from the free-throw line.
The game became the most-watched WNBA game ever on cable — regular season or playoffs — and viewership was up 507% compared to last year’s first-round coverage on ESPN.
According to ESPN’s PR department, the audience peaked at 3.4 million viewers. The best-of-three first round averaged 1.1 million viewers, making it the most-watched opening round in WNBA history.
Caitlin Clark and fellow rookie Angel Reese have been credited with driving the surge in WNBA viewership. Two games featuring them surpassed two million viewers, and the Fever repeatedly broke viewership records this season.
Caitlin Clark and Reese also hold the top two spots for best-selling jerseys in the first half of 2024.
