{"id":873767,"date":"2026-08-27T21:24:16","date_gmt":"2026-08-27T21:24:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/873767\/"},"modified":"2026-08-27T21:24:16","modified_gmt":"2026-08-27T21:24:16","slug":"how-does-the-wnba-culture-war-factor-into-ratings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/873767\/","title":{"rendered":"How Does the WNBA Culture War Factor Into Ratings?"},"content":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s a confusing time to be a WNBA fan.<\/p>\n

On the one hand, the league has hit record ratings highs, with the Aug. 16 matchup between the Atlanta Dream and the Indiana Fever marking the most-watched\u00a0WNBA\u00a0game ever on cable. <\/p>\n

But that success came as the league has been caught in the throes of a culture war, with political controversies surrounding Fever players Caitlin Clark and Sophie Cunningham dominating discourse about the league and fueling chatter on conservative media \u2014 including Fox News, which has devoted<\/a> 13 and a half hours this summer to covering the WNBA, per Media Matters.<\/p>\n

The controversy has fueled attention and social chatter for women\u2019s professional basketball, but crediting it for the league\u2019s viewership victories does a disservice to the actual game play. Women\u2019s sports have been on an upward ratings trajectory over the past couple years and the WNBA in particular received a shot in the arm from Clark, whose sharp-shooting ability has served as a tide that\u2019s lifting all teams.<\/p>\n

\"WNBA\"Caitlin Clark #22 of the Indiana Fever shoots over Kamilla Cardoso #10 of the Chicago Sky during the second half on August 08, 2026 (Photo by Michael Reaves\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n

The haters, meanwhile, aren\u2019t nearly as big a factor as social media would indicate. <\/p>\n

\u201cThe people that want to see it fail will use this as a reason for not watching, when they probably were never watching to begin with,\u201d veteran sports journalist and Northwestern professor Melissa Isaacson told TheWrap. \u201cThe people who are really women\u2019s basketball fans will continue to enjoy it as a product that continues to improve.\u201d<\/p>\n

For anyone unfamiliar with the drama, it boils down to two main controversies. The first centered on Clark, who was a major factor<\/a> in the ratings records for the 2024\u00a0NCAA Women\u2019s Championship<\/a>. Clark\u2019s stardom has remained, though an ugly dynamic has emerged where nearly every move made against her by a Black player sparks claims from the right that it is racially motivated, to the extent that 11 Republican lawmakers\u00a0wrote\u00a0WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert saying she had not addressed \u201crepeated acts of unnecessary physical hostility and violence\u201d against Clark.<\/p>\n

\"Sophie-Cunningham\"Sophie Cunningham (Photo by Michael Hickey\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n

The other side of the controversy involves Cunningham, who has been dubbed \u201cMAGA Barbie\u201d and become the right\u2019s favorite WNBA player, after voicing her opposition to transgender women playing in women\u2019s sports. The furor led to two former NBA players, Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White, trolling trans rights advocates by citing their intentions to enter into the 2027 draft as they test the gender eligibility requirements.<\/p>\n

The WNBA subsequently shut that down. And to be clear, no one takes them seriously.<\/p>\n

While the WNBA league has become the right\u2019s latest obsession, that intense interest will eventually cool as the next outrage takes center stage. And given that most right-wingers are engaging with the league on external platforms like social media or Fox News, fading attention might not even play much of a factor \u2014 if at all \u2014 in viewership.<\/p>\n

For the most part, the WNBA\u2019s most loyal fans have not been swayed by the drama. It\u2019s unlikely any true fans will stray.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Left:\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

With the pipeline of incoming talent from the college ranks, USC Annenberg professor Miki Turner told TheWrap, \u201cthe dub is here to stay.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s been here 30 years already, and profit margins were low for about the first 10-20 years of\u00a0its\u00a0existence, so the fact that it has survived\u00a0and expanded\u00a0gives me hope that they can rise above all of\u00a0the current drama,\u201d Turner said.<\/p>\n

In the grand scheme of things, the controversies shouldn\u2019t faze the growth of the league, which signed<\/a> an 11-year media rights agreement with Versant for USA Network to present WNBA games starting with the 2026 season.<\/p>\n

The way forward requires some \u201cbetter leadership in the front office\u201d and a strategic approach forward from players as they engage \u2014 or don\u2019t \u2014 with media, according to Turner. \u201cPlayers are going to have to not so much watch what they say, but watch how they say it,\u201d Turner said. \u201cMaybe at this point in time, [Caitlin Clark\u2019s] silence is golden.\u201d<\/p>\n

P.S. Streaming, linear, theatrical, creators: audiences have more places to spend their time than ever. At TheGrill<\/a> Sept. 30, we\u2019re talking with the people competing for that attention. AI Creator Day<\/a> kicks things off Sept. 29. Subscribers get 50% off through Sept. 8 with code PROPERKS50.<\/p>\n

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

Dolly Parton tribute specials draw eyes<\/p>\n

Following Dolly Parton\u2019s death on Tuesday, several networks mobilized to air specials paying tribute to the beloved country music icon and philanthropist, with each program drawing notable audiences.<\/p>\n

ABC News\u2019\u00a0\u201cDolly Parton: An American Original \u2013 Special Edition of 20\/20\u2033 scored 4.03 million viewers, almost doubling ratings for CBS\u2019 \u201cDolly Parton \u2013 An American Icon,\u201d which went head-to-head with ABC\u2019s special and brought in 2.17 million viewers. \u201cDolly Parton: An American Original\u201d also scored the best non-sports 10 p.m. telecast on any network in three months, since the season finale of CBS\u2019 \u201cBoston Blue.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"RosieRosie O\u2019Donnell hosts the Aug. 17 episode of \u201cJimmy Kimmel Live\u201d (ABC)<\/p>\n

Rosie O\u2019Donnell holds down ratings for Kimmel<\/p>\n

Rosie O\u2019Donnell made a splash in her stint as a summer substitute for \u201cJimmy Kimmel Live!\u201d and the early ratings said so as well. On her first night hosting for the week of Aug. 24, O\u2019Donnell brought in 1.87 million total viewers, according to preliminary Nielsen live-plus-same-day figures reported by LateNighter. It marks the biggest audience for any of Kimmel\u2019s guest hosts so far this summer.\u00a0<\/p>\n

While O\u2019Donnell outpaced the fellow late night shows in the demo, the viewership didn\u2019t by any means outpace Kimmel himself, who typically cracks 2 million viewers. Ratings for her full week of hosting will be available in the coming days.<\/p>\n

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

\u201cBig Brother\u201d scores ratings growth<\/p>\n

As CBS\u2019 \u201cBig Brother\u201d celebrates its 1,000th episode tonight<\/a>, the reality competition show is seeing notable ratings growth. Season 28 is averaging 5.21 million multiplatform viewers, a 10% increase year over year, according to Nielsen live-plus-seven-day figures.<\/p>\n

Demo viewership across both multiplatform and streaming are also up, with the 25-54 demo rising 21% while the 18-49 demo rose 15%.<\/p>\n

\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"big-brother-gif\"\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

ICYMI:<\/p>\n

\u201cOuter Banks\u201d\u00a0Season 5 launched<\/a> atop Netflix\u2019s most-watched TV shows lists with 9.4 million views, sliding down from last season<\/p>\n

Sunny Sandler\u2019s \u201cDon\u2019t Say Good Luck\u201d led<\/a> Netflix\u2019s top movies with 12.8 million views<\/p>\n

DC Studios\u2019 \u201cLanterns\u201d debuted<\/a> among the top five series premieres on HBO Max<\/p>\n

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