Upon learning that Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese would be joining forces against the U.S. women’s national team for this year’s WNBA All-Star Game, I was instantly curious about the most-watched WNBA All-Star Game in history.
That came in 2003, when 1.441 million viewers tuned into ABC on a Saturday afternoon for a tilt at Madison Square Garden.
The game featured an abundance of all-time players, including Lisa Leslie, Sue Bird, Dawn Staley, Sheryl Swoopes, Cynthia Cooper, Tamika Catchings, Tina Thompson, Lauren Jackson, Teresa Weatherspoon, Chamique Holdsclaw, Katie Smith, Yolanda Griffith, Swin Cash and Nykesha Sales, among others. (There was also a first-time All-Star guard from the New York Liberty named Becky Hammon. Whatever happened to her, anyway?)
An easy prediction: This year’s game will break the 2003 viewership record. Why? Well, you’ve heard this a million times, but broadcast television still matters when it comes to live sports.
Last year’s WNBA All-Star Game is a perfect example. It was the first one to air on a network (ABC) in prime time, and viewership popped significantly. The 2023 WNBA All-Star Game averaged 850,000 viewers on ABC (and peaked at 950,000 viewers), making it the most-watched WNBA All-Star Game since 2007.
It was a double-digit increase in viewership over the 2022 event, which aired on a Sunday afternoon.
