WNBA Finals Game 7 draws 3.3 million viewers, a league playoff record

Game 7 of the WNBA Finals drew an average of 3.3 million viewers on USA Network, CNBC and Peacock, the league announced Wednesday. That makes the Golden State Valkyries' 68-63 win over the Atlanta Dream on Oct. 31 the most-watched postseason game in WNBA history.

It was also the most-watched WNBA game ever on cable, and the audience was up 128% from the 2025 clincher, when Las Vegas finished a sweep of Phoenix. USA Today notes it is the league's second most-watched game of any kind since its opening weekend in 1997.

The whole series grew

The seven games averaged 1.88 million viewers, up 30% from last year and the best for a WNBA Finals since 1999. Game 1 on NBC and Peacock drew 2.1 million, and Game 4 on NBC drew 1.9 million. Game 6, moved to a 12:30 p.m. ET weekday tip at State Farm Arena, still averaged 1.5 million.

The full postseason averaged 1.49 million viewers, up 27% from 2025 and the league's best playoff run since its first season. The figures are Nielsen Big Data plus Panel numbers combined with Adobe Analytics digital data, which counts streaming alongside TV.

Full buildings, too

All seven Finals games sold out. Total attendance was 123,553, and the average crowd of 17,650 set Finals records for both marks, according to the league.

Why it matters

Five of the seven games aired on cable instead of broadcast TV, and Game 7 still set the record. That number gives the league and its partners a strong number to point to with sponsors.

The next test is whether the 2027 regular season holds onto these viewers.