The much-anticipated debut of Unrivaled, the new 3-on-3 women’s basketball league, got off to a solid start with Friday’s opening night doubleheader averaging 312,000 viewers across TNT and truTV, per Jon Lewis of Sports Media Watch. The inaugural game between the Lunar Owls and Mist attracted 313,000 viewers, while the following matchup between the Vinyl and Rose saw a slight decrease to 311,000 viewers. In context, these figures surpassed WNBA games on cable that lacked Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark by about 50%, and both games significantly exceeded TNT’s previous record for a women’s basketball game, which was a Colorado-LSU matchup that drew 184,000 viewers in November 2023. Additionally, Unrivaled’s debut outperformed TNT’s NHL doubleheader earlier that same week, which averaged 292,000 viewers on a night typically stronger for overall viewership.
Even though Friday’s game did not include Clark, who chose not to participate in the league this year, it showcased several prominent WNBA athletes. The first game featured WNBA legend Breanna Stewart along with DiJonai Carrington, Aaliyah Edwards, and Courtney Vandersloot on the Mist team. Napheesa Collier and Courtney Williams made their debuts for the Mist, while Cameron Brink was sidelined due to her ACL injury from the previous season. The second game highlighted Chicago Sky star Angel Reese.
Securing an audience of over 300,000 viewers demonstrates a clear proof-of-concept for the league. While these numbers may not reach the levels that women’s basketball experienced during Clark’s time at Iowa and now with the Fever, Unrivaled’s talent is still capable of drawing a significant audience without her involvement. Similar to the TGL debut on ESPN earlier this month, the ongoing challenge will be whether the league can maintain this level of viewership throughout the season. A clearer understanding of Unrivaled’s commercial viability will emerge as the season progresses.
