WNBA Adds Three Teams as Viewership Reaches 54 Million
With record momentum and an increasing level of national interest, the WNBA launches its 2025 season today, with no better way to showcase the league than a marquee matchup featuring…
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(Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)With record momentum and an increasing level of national interest, the WNBA launches its 2025 season today, with no better way to showcase the league than a marquee matchup featuring the two last teams standing, the Las Vegas Aces and the New York Liberty.
The league, founded in 1996, has navigated decades of challenges (financial difficulties, team relocations) to become the longest-operating women's professional basketball league in U.S. history. The league is entering a transformative era with the NBA owning roughly 60% of the WNBA and investing hundreds of millions into its growth.
“The onus is on the WNBA marketers and their partners to not only capture the momentum but elevate it,” said Ketra Armstrong, a professor of sport management at the University of Michigan (and, full disclosure, a longtime WNBA fan).
The 2025 season introduces key changes, including an expanded 44-game regular season and a revamped best-of-seven Finals format. The emergence of now well-regarded rookies like Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese has generated additional buzz, added more sponsors, and increased media coverage. Just this past year, the WNBA garnered 54 million viewers, with an average fan attendance of nearly 10,000.
Merchandise sales have increased by 601%, App sales have increased by 252%, and social media engagement has increased fourfold, demonstrating the growing popularity of the league. Despite this, however, the WNBA has historically lost money, averaging over $10 million annually, and has suffered a particularly significant loss of $50 million in 2024 alone. However, the surge in popularity is injecting hope for sustainability.
Expansion is already on the move, with the Golden State Valkyries debuting this season. They also anticipate opening additional franchises in Toronto and Portland in 2026, as well as a 16th team by 2028. With all of this momentum accelerating growth, league leadership and the players' union are also in discussions for a new collective bargaining agreement to improve player salaries and working conditions.
With superstars A'ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart as face value and a realm of new fans creating interest, the WNBA enters 2025 set to have the best season to date.
