The inaugural season of Unrivaled concluded on Monday night, with Rose BC securing a 62-54 victory over Vinyl BC, highlighted by Brittany Sykes making a winning free throw and a celebratory confetti drop. This historic night not only marked the end of the league’s first 3-on-3 women’s basketball season but also witnessed the only two Black female coaches in the league, Teresa Weatherspoon (former coach of the WNBA’s Chicago Sky) and Nola Henry (assistant coach for the Dallas Wings), compete for the championship.
In a season filled with milestones, Unrivaled successfully garnered $35 million from investors, including Golden State’s Steph Curry, and secured an exclusive broadcasting partnership with TNT Sports. Throughout its first season, Unrivaled attracted over 11.4 million viewers across TNT and truTV, including the ten most-watched women’s basketball games ever on Warner Bros. Discovery networks and their streaming service, Max. Notably, women accounted for 57% of Unrivaled’s game viewership on TNT and truTV, marking the highest concentration among major women’s sports properties. Specifically, the league averaged 104k Women 2+ viewers, a remarkable 126% increase compared to WNBA regular season games on cable (81k, excluding Caitlin Clark’s games on NBA TV, ESPN, and ESPN2).
TNT and its networks recognized the rise in women’s basketball viewership as a pivotal factor in choosing to partner exclusively with Unrivaled. Craig Barry, Executive Vice President and Chief Content Officer for TNT Sports, noted that the league attracted a distinct audience, tapping into an important demographic for TNT. “What we are seeing is that the brand has its own audience, and that is really what you are trying to achieve. Yes, you have sports fans, but you also have bespoke fans for Unrivaled making up the majority of the audience,” Barry stated. He further emphasized the necessity of providing a product that caters to women’s basketball fans, who often experience gaps in action during the WNBA off-season while their favorite players compete overseas. Unrivaled filled this void, presenting both a fresh offering and an investment opportunity for TNT.
Barry explained, “Unrivaled examined what worked and what didn’t in previous attempts, coming in with a new vision: a reduced full court format alongside professional athletes and a shorter season in a centralized location to consolidate the entire experience. When we looked at it, we agreed that it was a smart approach and worth exploring.” However, as the league considers its second season, it faces challenges, including injuries that necessitated the rotation of reserve players across the six clubs. Some star players, too, were sidelined due to injuries and other commitments, such as Sabrina Ionescu from the New York Liberty, who left the league to embark on her first Asia Tour with Nike. While a single location proved effective for a league in its infancy, both critics and TNT Sports have suggested a shift towards a multisite format moving forward.
Looking ahead to season two, Unrivaled is set to welcome WNBA rookie sensation Cameron Brink, who missed the inaugural season due to ACL surgery, and aims to attract new talent. Barry remarked, “We have an opportunity to grow the league. In season two, you will see an influx of new players. Our goal with Unrivaled is to create a league that is engaging and accessible, amplifying these athletes at a high level. In return, the athletes enhance the league, making it one of the first adjacent leagues with genuine sustainability potential.” Despite the challenge of persuading WNBA superstars A’ja Wilson and Caitlin Clark to join this season, efforts are being ramped up to secure these key players for the next season. Additionally, the 2025 Unrivaled ambassadors could include trailblazers Paige Bueckers (UConn) and Flau’jae Johnson (LSU), who bring substantial followings of their own.
With the inclusion of beloved players and fresh faces, engagement numbers are anticipated to rise beyond this year’s figures. Unrivaled content gained 160 million cross-platform views and 12.5 million engagements throughout the inaugural season across Bleacher Report, House of Highlights, and B/R W. Accordingly, TNT Sports appears committed to continued investment and collaboration with the league, with Barry expressing optimism for future innovative opportunities to showcase the thrilling competition among these world-class athletes as they look toward 2026.
