Unrivaled, started by Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart, is showing strong momentum in its second season.
Unrivaled, the professional women’s basketball league started by WNBA star Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart, is showing strong momentum in its second season. Significant gains across revenue, viewership, merchandise, and fan engagement is going strong, reinforcing the league’s long-term vision.
Unrivaled’s highly anticipated second season began two weeks ago and the numbers don’t lie. According to league sources, Unrivaled is on track to surpass $40 million in revenue this season, which is a 48% increase from last year. Social performance and merchandise sales are also increasing, proving that the league has what it takes for longevity and continued growth across the board.
Unrivaled Is On Track For Another League-Building Season
Despite what some internet chatter has alluded to, Unrivaled's second season is on track to be another amazing season for the new league. The numbers simply don't lie.
With this only being the second season for the new league created by the players, for the players, there have been significant gains across revenue, viewership, merchandise sales, and fan engagement.
According to league sources, shared exclusively with The Blast, Unrivaled is on track to surpass $40 million in revenue this season. Social performance continues to climb, with opening weekend views and impressions up 27% compared to last year's opening weekend, and engagement rising 6.6%, reflecting the league's highlight-driven approach. Merchandise sales are also on the rise, up 54% compared to the same period last season.
And that's not all. The league's growth extends beyond digital metrics. Partnerships remain high, with 95% of year-one partners returning for the second season, and several expanding their commitments, including Xfinity, TOGETHXR, and Maker's Mark.
It's Also Looking Good On The Court
On the court, player buy-in is strong, with more than 75% of the roster signed to multi-year deals. Many multi-year deals are through 2028, underscoring strong stability and belief in the league's future.
Ticket demand also continues to soar. Games at the league's home court in Miami, Sephora Arena, routinely sells out. Unrivaled is taking the show on the road for games in Philadelphia at Xfinity Arena. The games are completely sold out, including the upper bowl.
Together, these indicators highlight a steady, sustainable growth in the new league.
What Unrivaled's President Has To Say About Season 2
Alex Bazzell, co-founder Napheesa Collier's husband and president of the league, recently shared that Unrivaled is building for "the long-game."
"We’re building Unrivaled for the long-game and we’re confident in our outlook, keeping in mind the same core principals and goals we set forth when establishing the league," he said according to a league source.
"We’re proud of the product we’re putting on the court each week and are going to continue growing our audience while showcasing the best women’s basketball players in the world. Leagues aren’t built overnight."
Breanna Stewart Talked About Early Viewership In Season 2
Unrivaled co-founder and New York Liberty star Stewart addressed the early season 2 ratings recently. According to Sports Illustrated, Stewart said, "Obviously, we want them to be consistently high no matter if we play on Friday or Saturday, Sunday or Monday, and know that we have a space of our own here and in the league of sports."
She continued. "People aren't typically used to seeing women's professional basketball at this time unless you're watching Euroleague or something like that, so ratings is a huge one."
Napheesa Collier And Breanna Stewart Won Sports Illustrated 2025 Innovators Of The Year Award
Stewart and Collier recently were awarded Sports Illustrated 2025 Innovators of the Year for their work founding Unrivaled.
At the event held at Wynn Las Vegas in early January, Stewart was present to accept the award and gave a speech on behalf of her and Collier, who wasn't in attendance.
"Thank you so much to Sports Illustrated, this is truly and honor," she said. "I'm incredibly proud to be able to accept this award together with my partner, Napheesa Collier, even though she couldn't be here tonight, Unrivaled simply doesn't exist without her vision, leadership, and willingness to challenge what's already been done."
She explained that creating Unrivaled wasn't about "creating something new," but rather "building something better."
"We're grateful for the athletes who believed in us, the partners who took a chance on us, and the fans who continue to push the game forward," she continued. "This award isn't just for us. It's for every woman who's ever been told to wait their turn. We decided to build our own table so pull up a seat; we're just getting started."
Before the ceremony, she exclusively told The Blast how the idea for Unrivaled came to be.
"The idea came about at a dinner," she said while walking the red carpet. "We went to Del Frisco's in New York City one night and it was actually [Napheesa's] husband Alex who proposed the idea to me and from there, we were like, how do we make this happen."
She further explained, "Phee and I are both moms, we're both players that played overseas, but we wanted to be able to keep people home and in market and really build their brands and work on their games."
Category: General Sports
