Overview
- Opening-week broadcasts averaged 175,000 viewers on Jan. 5 across TNT and truTV, then 139,000 on Jan. 9, with truTV-only windows drawing as low as 32,000 to 71,000, a sharp drop from last season’s 221,000 average; HBO Max streams are not reflected in Nielsen.
- CEO Alex Bazzell said the league is focused on the long game, while its six-year TNT deal includes a three-year opt-out for Warner Bros. Discovery, making sustained viewership a key benchmark.
- Caitlin Clark is not participating as she prioritizes health, Sabrina Ionescu is sidelined by injury, and other headliners such as Angel Reese and Jewell Loyd did not return, diminishing star power.
- Unrivaled reports a sold-out Jan. 30 two-game stop at Philadelphia’s Xfinity Mobile Arena (roughly 17,000–20,000 capacity), with resale tickets starting at $123 as of this week.
- League representatives say opening-period merchandise sales rose over 50% year over year and ticket revenue climbed about 40%, and a separate report cites league sources projecting more than $40 million in season revenue.