After a strong debut season in the women’s basketball space, Unrivaled opened its 2026 campaign with viewership that largely held steady from last year’s season, albeit a slight drop. Unrivaled’s two primetime season-opening games drew an average of 175,000 viewers, a decrease from last year’s regular season average viewership of 208,000 viewers, according to sources briefed on the numbers. The afternoon window averaged 107,000 viewers. The Lunar Owls vs. Rose Basketball Club game averaged 179,0
Unrivaled’s two primetime season-opening games drew an average of 175,000 viewers, a decrease from last year’s regular season average viewership of 208,000 viewers, according to sources briefed on the numbers. The afternoon window averaged 107,000 viewers.
The Lunar Owls vs. Rose Basketball Club game averaged 179,000 viewers, while the Breeze vs. Phantom contest drew an average of 171,000.
The league’s first season was a success from a viewership standpoint, as Unrivaled partnered with TNT, truTV and HBO Max to air its games. Unrivaled’s social media pages are popular as well, as its various accounts have drawn hundreds of viewers.
“I think what we were able to do in Year 1, I think all of us were ecstatic, as well as our TV partner in TNT,” league president Alex Bazzell told The Athletic.
Unrivaled’s viewership numbers compared favorably to the National Women’s Soccer League. The NWSL averaged 228,000 viewers, which was up significantly from 141,000 viewers during the 2024 season.
The league is not scheduling back-to-back games this year and TNT is broadcasting a fourth night of games. Contests will be played on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays.
Unrivaled boasts a lineup of 54 players, more than three-quarters of whom are signed to multi-year deals. The league, which claimed to pay the highest salaries in American women’s team sports in its inaugural season, raised capital from a group of investors at a $340 million valuation this fall. It will feature more than a dozen first-time players this season, including Los Angeles Sparks guard Kelsey Plum, Indiana Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell and Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers.
“Excitement across the board is really, really high,” Unrivaled executive vice president and general manager Clare Duwelius said. “The players who we were able to add heading into Season 2 are super exciting names to me. Knowing how we had amazing success in Year 1 and just seeing how it can really come to life in Year 2 is probably what I’m most excited about, eager about.”
This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
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Category: General Sports
