The WNBA, which just concluded its 26th regular season, enjoyed some record-high viewership on primary television partner ESPN in 2022.

ESPN said Tuesday that its 25 WNBA games across Disney networks (ABC, ESPN, ESPN2) averaged 372,000 viewers, a 19 percent jump over 2021.

Further, Sunday’s game between the Seattle Storm and Las Vegas Aces was the most-viewed WNBA game regardless of network since May 17, 2008, per ESPN. It was televised on ABC as part of a regular-season doubleheader and peaked at 1.1 million viewers.

Combined with the early game of the ABC doubleheader between the Minnesota Lynx and Connecticut Sun, the games combined to average 768,000 viewers, which ESPN called “a 40 percent spike” over last year’s average.

The WNBA playoffs begin Wednesday when two best-of-three series tip off. The No. 7 seed New York Liberty visit the No. 2 seed and defending champion Chicago Sky, and the No. 8 seed Phoenix Mercury travel to face the No. 1 seed Aces.

–Field Level Media