Dream, Valkyries set viewership records for most-watched WNBA Finals since 1999
The seven-game series between the Dream and Valkyries was a blockbuster on the court, as well as for viewers in the arenas and on television.
This year’s WNBA Finals, which Golden State won in Game 7 on Saturday night, was the most-watched Finals since 1999. The deciding game drew 3.3 million viewers on USA Network and CNBC and was the most-watched playoff game in WNBA history.
The series featured two potential first-time champions and included the second-seeded Valkyries and fourth-seeded Dream. In the seven games, the series averaged 1.88 million viewers, a gain of 30% from last season’s Finals.
Game 7 was the most-watched WNBA game ever on cable, an increase of 128% from the deciding game in 2025. Game 4 in Atlanta averaged 1.9 million viewers on NBC and Peacock, and Game 3’s average was 1.71 million on USA Network, CNBC and Peacock.
The other games also had good numbers:
- Game 6 (at Atlanta): 1.5 million views on USA Network, CNBC and Peacock
- Game 5 (at Golden State): 1.43 million viewers on USA Network, E!, SYFY and Peacock
- Game 2 (at Golden State): 1.33 million viewers on USA Network, CNBC and Peacock
- Game 1 (at Golden State): 2.1 million viewers (peaking at 3 million) on NBC and Peacock
Average viewership data referenced is Total Audience Delivery, based on official Nielsen Big Data + Panel and digital data from Adobe Analytics.