Of significant interest from a business perspective was how much viewership the WNBA All-Star Game would draw without injured Indiana Fever superstar Caitlin Clark \u2014 and without last year\u2019s compelling setup of the WNBA All Stars versus Team USA.<\/p>\n
We now have our answer.<\/p>\n
The 2025 WNBA All-Star Game averaged 2.2 million viewers on ABC, down significantly from last year\u2019s record 3.44 million viewers on the network. The context for last year\u2019s game: It was the first time in 19 years that the All-Star Game crossed the one million viewership mark and only the third time in history (2003 and 2005) when the game topped the 1 million viewers. To give you a recent reference point: The game drew 850,000 viewers on ABC in 2023.<\/p>\n
In 2003, the game drew 1.44 million viewers, and in 2005, it attracted 1.29 million viewers. Both games featured a West versus East format.<\/p>\n
The numbers for this year\u2019s game reveal that Clark\u2019s absence had a massive impact. They also show that there is viewer growth interest in the WNBA All-Star Game.<\/p>\n
Where the WNBA and its media partners should feel good is with the Friday Night Skills and 3-Point Challenge. That event drew 1.3 million viewers on ESPN and ESPN+, up significantly from last year\u2019s 695,000 viewers. The league and ESPN can likely juice these numbers next year by moving it to ABC and adding another event, such as a first-year versus second-year game.<\/p>\n
Clark sat out this year\u2019s 3-point contest and All-Star Game after suffering a right groin injury<\/a> during the Fever\u2019s road win over the Connecticut Sun last Tuesday night. It was supposed to be her second straight start in the All-Star Game, which was\u00a0held at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, the Fever\u2019s home arena.<\/p>\n