{"id":474204,"date":"2026-02-14T09:34:17","date_gmt":"2026-02-14T09:34:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/474204\/"},"modified":"2026-02-14T09:34:17","modified_gmt":"2026-02-14T09:34:17","slug":"wnba-online-search-growth-jumps-140-as-short-form-sports-properties-gain-momentum","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/474204\/","title":{"rendered":"WNBA online search growth jumps 140% as short-form sports properties gain momentum"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Women\u2019s National Basketball Association (WNBA) has retained top spot for online search growth in Redtorch<\/a>\u2019s latest SportOnSocial Global Sports Properties report<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Key details:<\/p>\n

WNBA achieves 140 per cent increase in global online searches in 2025
\nFan attention shifting towards innovative, fast-paced sports formats
\nShort-form and accessible sports properties increasingly outperforming traditional models
\nThree of the five fastest-growing sports properties\u00a0for online search (World Endurance Championship, Ultimate Tennis Showdown, SailGP)\u00a0are innovation-led formats
\nONE Championship jumps 17 places to fifth in global search interest following Amazon Prime Video broadcast deal<\/p>\n

Context:<\/p>\n

The WNBA was able to keep hold of top spot in the report despite Indiana Fever<\/a> star Caitlin Clark missing significant playing time last season through injury. According to sports marketing agency Redtorch, the WNBA\u2019s performance reflects\u00a0the\u00a0consistent growth\u00a0across women\u2019s sport\u00a0as\u00a0the sector\u00a0continues to enjoy\u00a0broader\u00a0global brand and\u00a0commercial appeal.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The World Endurance Championship (WEC), Ultimate Tennis Showdown (UTS) and SailGP<\/a>, meanwhile, saw their online search rise 108 per cent, 106 per cent and 84 per cent, respectively.<\/p>\n

Redtorch said the trend for those three properties highlights that formats that are blending short-form competition, familiar talent and brands, and simple global distribution models \u2013 including a digital-first approach targeting younger fans through clippable social content and streaming deals \u2013 are achieving a greater share of audience and fan engagement.<\/p>\n

The SportOnSocial Global Sports Properties report, which drew on data from Google<\/a> Trends, also highlighted that combat sports are regaining cultural momentum as always-on, event-led properties. As well as ONE\u2019s strong showing, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC<\/a>) rose 21 places in the search growth ranking to 18th.<\/p>\n

Redtorch added that in combat sports, scale is now driven less by individual fight cards and more by streaming distribution and cultural reach.<\/p>\n

Comment:<\/p>\n

\u201cThe latest SportOnSocial findings show that women\u2019s sport \u2013 led by the WNBA \u2013 continues its growth momentum with enhanced structures, audience accessibility and sustained fan relevance,\u201d said Jess Reus, Redtorch\u2019s head of communications and women\u2019s sport lead.<\/p>\n

\u201cA 140 per cent increase in global search interest following the WNBA\u2019s number one position last year, alongside record attendance and rising broadcast audiences, reinforces that demand is now durable, rather than dependent on individual star moments.<\/p>\n

\u201cAudiences are also increasingly gravitating towards formats that are fast-paced, short-form and digitally native, while combat sports demonstrate how always-on narratives and global streaming distribution can rapidly scale cultural relevance.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cProperties that continue to embrace innovation, distribution connecting\u00a0into culture\u00a0will not only grow\u00a0audiences, but\u00a0further develop brand appeal and commercial value.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Enjoying this content? We think you\u2019ll be interested in our upcoming event,\u00a0SportsPro New York<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Taking place at Marriott Marquis, Times Square on 12-13 March 2026, join the leaders shaping the business of sport, as we explore the forces transforming media, technology, and investment across North America.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Women\u2019s National Basketball Association (WNBA) has retained top spot for online search growth in Redtorch\u2019s latest SportOnSocial…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":474205,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[629],"tags":[49,48,1865,192712,192713,82,640,1194,630],"class_list":["post-474204","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-wnba","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-one-championship","tag-redtorch","tag-sailgp","tag-sports","tag-ufc","tag-wec","tag-wnba"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/474204","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=474204"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/474204\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/474205"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=474204"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=474204"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=474204"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}