Why Don’t People Watch WNBA Games?

The Women’s National Basketball Association, or WNBA, is a professional basketball league that was founded on April 22, 1996.  It was founded and approved by the NBA Board of Governors and was meant to attract more fanship and viewers to women’s basketball.

However, since its founding and inception, the WNBA has failed to live up to its original goal and has been unable to attract a significant viewership.  Below, we are going to discuss just why most people don’t watch WNBA games and what steps can be taken to increase overall viewership.

Quick Overview of the WNBA

As mentioned above, the WNBA was founded on April 22, 1996, by the Board of Governors for the NBA.  Currently, the WNBA is composed of twelve teams, with the regular season being played from the months of May through September, with the WNBA All Star game being held midway through the season.

Of the twelve WNBA teams, five share a direct NBA counterpart and typically play in the same arena.  The five teams include the Indiana Fever, the Los Angeles Sparks, the Minnesota Lynx, the New York Liberty, and the Phoenix Mercury.

From the remaining seven teams, the Atlanta Dream, the Chicago Sky, the Connecticut Sun, the Dallas Wings, the Las Vegas Aces, the Seattle Storm, and the Washington Mystics, none of those teams share an arena with a direct NBA counterpart.  However, four of the seven do share a market with an NBA counterpart and the Washington Mystics and the Atlanta Dream do play in an NBA G League arena.

Purpose of the WNBA

As stated above, the initial purpose of the WNBA was meant to attract and bring additional viewership to the women’s sport.  In addition, by creating an exclusive women’s basketball league, the NBA Board of Governors hoped to attract female viewership to both the NBA and the WNBA.

However, digging deeper, and looking at the WNBA’s initial motto of, “We Got Next”, the purpose of the WNBA was meant to elevate the women’s sport of basketball past an afterthought and into the spotlight as a competitive, qualified, and equally entertaining league.

Too often, women’s sports have been relegated to the backseat, an afterthought to the men’s sports leagues and divisions.  These biases, whether done consciously or not, were seen as a form of prejudice and implicit bias.  By forming the WNBA, women’s basketball would be able to take center stage and present a unified front against bias and prejudice.

So, Why Aren’t WNBA Games as Popular as NBA Ones?

Although the intentions in forming the WNBA were good, the league faced many challenges and obstacles which continue to reverberate through the sport.  Many original WNBA teams have either folded or moved locations, many popular WNBA athletes have either retired or opted to play in different markets overseas, and many owners simply did not market the league properly to attract viewers and fans.

Let’s take a bit of a deeper dive into just why people don’t watch WNBA games and why the league isn’t as popular as it was initially panned out to be.

• Lack of Superstars – while there are plenty of qualified, competitive, and excellent WNBA players in the league, the league has done a poor job of properly marketing those players.  Sports leagues, in general, are composed of entertaining players with significant personalities both on-and-off the court.  The WNBA has simply been unable to market a single player as the face of the league and most basketball fans are simply unable to name a significant player on any team that would attract their attention.

• Scheduling Conflicts – similarly, many WNBA games are scheduled at or during times throughout the week when other sports leagues are playing.  From baseball, to football, to men’s basketball, the WNBA is competing at similar timeslots as these more popular leagues.  Doing so forces potential fans to choose between different leagues, with most fans opting for other sports.

• Age of the League – in addition, the age of the WNBA plays a significant part in why the sport isn’t as popular as other leagues.  Sports fans, in general, build both an emotional and financial bond with their chosen teams.  These fans typically grow up and are raised supporting a single team and will invest significant time and money into supporting their chosen team.  And while this may be possible with the WNBA, the league is simply too young to have developed a significant emotional connection for any one fan.

• Lack of Proper Marketing – as compared to other sports leagues, the WNBA does a poor job of marketing their brand,  players, and teams.  The world of sports is a competitive one, with many different teams, leagues, and brands competing for similar timeslots and limited attention.  The WNBA, quite frankly, has done a poor job of marketing the league and allowing for fans to follow and recognize players, teams, and the brand.

• Lack of Jaw-Dropping Plays – this is always a controversial opinion, but it is one that we believe truly explains why many fans and individuals don’t watch WNBA games.  Unfortunately, the WNBA does not have many jaw-dropping plays on a day-in and day-out basis.  From the lack of dunking to many blowout games, the WNBA simply does not have or provide fans with a reason to tune in.  And in the age of social media, from Instagram to Twitter, fans are always looking for the latest highlights and plays to share with family and friends.  And although the WNBA does have a significant number of plays and highlights, the lack of dunking and lack of competitiveness between teams makes watching the games a bit difficult.

• Lack of Markets – and lastly, similar to the above, the WNBA simply has a lack of markets in which they play in.  As compared directly to the NBA, with 30 teams across the United States and Canada, the WNBA only has 12 teams, making it difficult for potential fans to develop an emotional connection and to purchase tickets to view the game live.