While the WNBA built on its 2024 viewership numbers in 2025, Unrivaled's second season has gone the other way.

On the opening day, Unrivaled averaged a total viewership of 107K and 175K during the primetime window. Last season, the opening night averaged 313K, marking a stark dip of 208K viewers this season. 

The best-performing game in 2025 was the one-on-one tournament, which averaged 377K views. Those benchmarks highlighted the challenge facing the league as it works to maintain momentum beyond its inaugural season.

Back in 2025, Unrivaled partnered with TNT, truTV, and HBO Max, which contributed to its viewership success.

A big reason might be the absence of star factors. Last season, Angel Reese and Sabrina Ionescu attracted significant attention. But they’re worn out and aren’t competing this time.

Talking to The Athletic, Unrivaled president Alex Bazzell said, “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.”

Yet, there are a few names that have maintained the excitement around the league. 

Excitement Around Unrivaled Season 2 is Still High

The executive vice president and general manager, Clare Duwelius, stated, “Excitement across the board is really, really high. 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.”

Although the big names like Angel Reese, A’ja Wilson, and Caitlin Clark are missing from the roster, we can still see stars like Kelsey Plum, Kelsey Mitchell, and Paige Bueckers compete alongside 51 more players. And they might help rebuild the viewership numbers in the upcoming games. 

Written by

Krushna Pattnaik

Edited by

Siddharth Shirwadkar