Chicago Sky's Angel Reese (left) and Indiana Fever's Caitlin Clark (right). Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Fever-Sky ratings set high bar for 2025 WNBA season

By Eric Smithling | Last updated May 20, 2025 3:09 PM ET

The Indiana Fever and Chicago Sky set a high bar for the WNBA's 2025 viewership last weekend.

Per The Athletic's Richard Deitsch, Saturday's Fever-Sky game on the second day of the WNBA regular season averaged 2.7 million viewers, making it the league's most watched game in a quarter century, and peaked at an audience of 3.1 million.

According to Front Office Sports data, the latest game in the Caitlin Clark-Angel Reese rivalry, a 93-58 Fever win, became the seventh-most-watched game in regular-season history, falling just shy of the 2.74 million viewers who watched a May 29, 2000, meeting between the New York Liberty and Houston Comets.

ESPN PR noted on social media that it was the most-watched WNBA game ever on an ESPN platform. The game aired on ABC, which, like ESPN, is owned by Disney.

The most-watched WNBA opening weekend EVER on ESPN platforms

Sky-Fever
2.7M avg. viewers, 3.1M peak
Most-watched WNBA game EVER on ESPN platforms

Aces-Liberty
1.3M avg. viewers, 1.9M peak pic.twitter.com/SWMHmNwXrb
— ESPN PR (@ESPNPR) May 20, 2025

ESPN also revealed that the lead-in between the Las Vegas Aces and defending champion New York Liberty averaged 1.3 million viewers to give the WNBA a pair of games with seven-digit audience numbers.

The eye-popping viewership indicates the league's remarkable 2024 growth wasn't a blip but the start of the sport's explosion in popularity.

It wouldn't be shocking if audience totals grow throughout the season. As Deitsch noted, CBS airs two prime-time games later this season between the Fever and Sky.

"It has a legit shot at reaching three million viewers," wrote Deitsch.

Only three regular-season games in WNBA history have eclipsed the 3 million mark, and none this century.

Last July, the WNBA All-Star Game pitting WNBA stars against Team USA became the fourth game in league history to average 3 million viewers.

In 2024, the WNBA had its most-watched regular season since 2000 and a record 22 games average at least 1 million viewers.

Based on its 2025 opening weekend, the league might blow those numbers out of the water this season.

As high as the bar is, the WNBA should have no problem clearing it.

Eric Smithling

Eric Smithling is a writer based in New Orleans, LA, whose byline also appears on Athlon Sports. He has been with Yardbarker since September 2022, primarily covering the NFL and college football, but also the NBA, WNBA, men’s and women’s college basketball, NHL, tennis and golf. He holds a film studies degree from the University of New Orleans

More must-reads: