The fandom surrounding basketball prodigy Caitlin Clark has driven immense interest in Women’s National Basketball Games (WNBA) since she was drafted by the Indiana Fever earlier this year — and no television broadcaster has benefitted more from this than the E. W. Scripps Company.
On Thursday, executives at Scripps said viewership of its WNBA on Ion telecasts drew 23.37 million unique viewers across its games and wrap-up shows, a 133 percent increase compared to the 2023 season, when Ion began airing Friday evening WNBA games.
Ion broadcast nearly four dozen WNBA games this season, a record for the league. The games air for free on over-the-air Ion television affiliates across the country, and through the Ion free, ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) channel on platforms like Fox Corporation’s Tubi, Pluto TV, Samsung TV Plus and Amazon’s Freevee.
“This season was a big step forward for the WNBA and its players in terms of exposure both in arenas and on television,” Brian Lawlor, the President of Scripps Sports, said in a statement. “It was so fun to watch the momentum build throughout the season. Scripps is thrilled to have played a part in that.”
Clark and the Fever have been responsible for a lot of those viewers. Seven of Ion’s WNBA telecasts drew an average of 1 million or more viewers, according to Nielsen data — and all seven featured the Fever.
The games are resonating with male and female sports fans alike, with Ion saying its male audience for WNBA games increased 181 percent on a year-over basis. Fifty percent of all adult viewers who watched WNBA games on Ion are female, Scripps said.
As ratings increased, so did interest from advertisers. Scripps saw more than 20 new advertisers sign on to bring their brand campaigns to viewers during WNBA on Ion broadcasts.
“We are incredibly pleased with the success of our partnership with Scripps Sports, which has played a pivotal role in amplifying the reach and visibility of the WNBA season,” WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said on Thursday “Through this partnership, we’ve been able to showcase great basketball with a broader audience, deepening the connection between the league, the players and our growing fan base while delivering record-breaking viewership numbers.”
