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WNBA viewership record for 2026 regular season announced by ESPN

ESPN announced that its 2026 regular season coverage of the WNBA achieved record-breaking viewership numbers, averaging 1.4 million viewers across its networks to mark a seventeen percent increase year-over-year. This achievement extends a three-year streak of all-time high audiences for the broadcaster.

The Minnesota Lynx finished at the top of the league table as the regular schedule concluded.

Postseason action is set to begin this weekend with the Minnesota Lynx holding the top spot. A matchup between the Indiana Fever and the Atlanta Dream on August 16 established a new benchmark as the most-watched WNBA broadcast in the network's history, pulling in an average audience of 2.6 million viewers.

The Fever are now preparing to face the Las Vegas Aces in the opening round of the playoffs.

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