WNBA Attendance Up 2.6%; Ratings on ESPN2, ABC Up Double Digits
The WNBA is averaging 7,673 fans per game, up 2.6% from the same period last year. The Sparks lead all teams with 10,121 fans per game, up 24.3%. The Fever are seeing the largest increase in average attendance thus far, up 34.3% at Conseco Fieldhouse. Despite owning the league's best record thus far, the Sun are next to last in average attendance and off 19.3% from the same period a year ago. The expansion Dream, who currently sport an 0-10 record, are averaging 7,932 fans per game at Philips Arena, which is still good enough for seventh in the league to date. The following lists WNBA team-by-team attendance and league totals, with comparisons to the same period in '07 (THE DAILY).
|
WNBA ATTENDANCE THROUGH JUNE 16
|
|
HOME TEAM
|
GMS
|
TOTAL
|
AVG.
|
% CAP.
|
PREV.
|
% +/-
|
GMS ('07)
|
|
Sparks
|
3
|
30,364
|
10,121
|
77.0%
|
8,146
|
24.3%
|
2
|
|
Monarchs
|
4
|
39,956
|
9,989
|
57.7%
|
8,923
|
11.9%
|
5
|
|
Shock
|
4
|
36,842
|
9,211
|
81.7%
|
9,264
|
-0.6%
|
5
|
| Mercury |
4
|
36,065
|
9,016
|
94.8%
|
7,593
|
18.7%
|
5
|
| Fever |
5
|
44,613
|
8,923
|
96.9%
|
6,643
|
34.3%
|
7
|
| Mystics |
4
|
34,335
|
8,584
|
83.3%
|
7,417
|
15.7%
|
6
|
| Dream* |
6
|
47,589
|
7,932
|
79.0%
|
n/a
|
n/a
|
n/a
|
| Storm |
7
|
53,336
|
7,619
|
78.7%
|
7,883
|
-3.3%
|
5
|
| Liberty |
6
|
46,325
|
7,721
|
39.1%
|
8,559
|
-9.8%
|
6
|
| Sliver Stars |
5
|
37,410
|
7,482
|
75.8%
|
7,236
|
3.4%
|
5
|
| Comets |
4
|
27,482
|
6,871
|
94.6%
|
8,068
|
-14.8%
|
4
|
| Lynx |
5
|
33,967
|
6,793
|
74.0%
|
7,118
|
-4.6%
|
6
|
| Sun |
6
|
39,620
|
6,603
|
66.0%
|
8,179
|
-19.3%
|
3
|
| Sky |
6
|
21,564
|
3,594
|
55.3%
|
3,427
|
4.9%
|
5
|
| WNBA TOTALS |
69
|
529,468
|
7,673
|
62.0%
|
7,480
|
2.6%
|
64
|
NOTES: * = Atlanta is an expansion team
Through three games on ABC, the WNBA is averaging a 0.6 rating (825,000 viewers), which is up 20% from three games last year. Two of the three telecasts have included the Sparks and rookie F Candace Parker. On ESPN2, WNBA games in the Tuesday night primetime slot are averaging a 0.22 coverage area rating (247,000 viewers) after four telecasts, up 20% from the first five telecasts last year. The following lists game-by-game ratings for WNBA telecasts to date on both ABC and ESPN2.
|
'08 WNBA RATINGS
|
|
DATE
|
DAY
|
NET
|
GAME
|
START
|
U.S. RAT.
|
COV. RAT.
|
VIEWERS
|
|
5/17
|
Sat.
|
ABC
|
Sparks-Mercury
|
3:30pm
|
0.8
|
---
|
1,070,000
|
|
5/20
|
Tues.
|
ESPN2
|
Monarchs-Storm
|
10:29pm
|
0.2
|
0.2
|
237,000
|
|
5/24
|
Sat.
|
ABC
|
Storm-Silver Stars |
3:30pm
|
0.5
|
---
|
682,000
|
|
5/27
|
Tues.
|
ESPN2
|
Fever-Sun |
7:00pm
|
0.2
|
0.3
|
297,000
|
|
5/31
|
Sat.
|
ABC
|
Sparks-Mystics |
3:30pm
|
0.5
|
---
|
690,000
|
|
6/3
|
Tues.
|
ESPN2
|
Mystics-Mercury |
10:33pm
|
0.2
|
0.2
|
229,000
|
|
6/10
|
Tues.
|
ESPN2
|
Sun-Lynx |
7:00pm
|
0.2
|
0.2
|
229,000
|
|
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