Record WNBA audience reignites debate over source of growth

Indiana won 113-90 behind 67 backcourt points

Wire Report IntelligenceUpdated Aug 271 min read

What happened: The Aug. 23 Fever-Sky broadcast on NBC and Peacock peaked at 3.82 million viewers. Caitlin Clark scored 37 points and Kelsey Mitchell added 30 in the victory.

Why it matters: The audience ranked third among all WNBA regular-season games, trailing only two contests from the league's opening weekend in 1997. NBC's seven games this season have averaged 1.75 million viewers, up 35% from comparable coverage last year.

By the numbers: The broadcast averaged 3.31 million viewers and peaked at 3.82 million. It was the largest regular-season audience in 6,441 WNBA games dating to June 1997.

What to watch: Upcoming national windows will test whether the surge extends beyond marquee matchups. NBC's regular-season schedule concludes Sept. 21.

Sources

Yahoo Sports 2026-08-27T05:08:56.144005+00:00

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