The Indiana Fever’s regular‑season games on major broadcast networks are delivering audience numbers that far exceed the WNBA’s recent semifinal openers. An OutKick review of ten Fever games aired on ABC, CBS and NBC found an average audience of approximately 2.32 million viewers, while the two semifinal openers on Oct. 4 averaged about 1.16 million.

Ratings comparison

The semifinal openers featured New York–Atlanta (Game 1) with 1.2 million viewers on ABC and Las Vegas–Golden State with 1.12 million on NBC and Peacock. By contrast, the Fever’s first‑round opener against Las Vegas on Sept. 27 drew 2.11 million viewers on ABC, a 76 percent larger audience despite airing opposite the NFL.

Every one of the ten Fever regular‑season games attracted a larger audience than either semifinal opener. Seven of those games exceeded two million viewers. The smallest Fever audience was the May 30 game at Portland on CBS, reported at nearly 1.3 million viewers, even though Clark scored only six points in a loss.

Top‑performing Fever broadcasts

Indiana’s Aug. 23 matchup against Chicago reached 3.31 million viewers on NBC and Peacock, while the July 12 game versus Las Vegas pulled in 2.64 million on the same platforms. The Liberty’s two regular‑season meetings with Indiana on CBS each attracted over 2.5 million viewers, further highlighting the Fever’s drawing power.

Even when Clark was not on the floor, the Fever continued to generate strong numbers. A June 27 game against Los Angeles on CBS drew 1.57 million viewers, and a first‑round game streamed on Prime Video attracted 1.42 million, outpacing every non‑Fever first‑round broadcast.

Implications for the WNBA

These figures illustrate that the Fever has built a loyal audience that extends beyond the presence of Clark. Since her arrival in 2024, the league has consistently cleared the one‑million‑viewer mark for the first time since 2008, signaling real progress for women’s basketball.

While the semifinal openers averaged roughly 10 percent more viewers than the previous year’s pair, they still fell short of the Fever’s regular‑season averages. The only semifinal opener to exceed the Fever’s numbers was last year’s Fever–Aces game, which drew 1.4 million on ABC despite Clark’s injury.

For the WNBA, the data suggest a clear opportunity: expanding the type of fan engagement the Fever has cultivated could lift viewership across the league. As the playoffs continue, other teams will aim to match the audience levels the Fever achieved as early as May.

Original reporting: Fox News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.