WNBA Finals still at 25-year high despite dips for Games 2, 3

The WNBA Finals viewership remains at a 25-year high, despite declines in Games 2 and 3, primarily driven by a milestone Game 1 audience. Entering the potential Game 4 clincher, the Aces-Mercury series averaged 1.5 million viewers, marking a 13% increase from the previous year and the highest average at this stage since 2000.

Game 1 attracted 1.9 million viewers, significantly boosting the overall average, while Games 2 and 3 on ABC and ESPN saw slight declines to 1.2 million and 1.3 million respectively, compared to 1.3 million and 1.4 million in the previous year's Finals. However, these figures still represent a substantial improvement over historical norms, with eight consecutive Finals games now exceeding one million viewers, setting a new record for the event.

Nielsen's methodological changes, including the inclusion of out-of-home viewing since 2020 and the addition of "Big Data" from set-top boxes and smart TVs in September, may account for some of the viewership gains, but are unlikely to explain all of the increases. WNBA playoff games overall are averaging 1.2 million viewers, up 14% from the same point last year.

Despite the Finals expanding to a best-of-seven format for the first time this season, the series may end with fewer games than last year's best-of-five series that went the distance, as the Aces were poised for a potential sweep in Game 4.