Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese push WNBA All-Star game to all-time high viewership
Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese played in their first All-Star games as rookies.
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Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese break WNBA records
The WNBA All-Star game held in Phoenix, Arizona, was packed to the gills. Many might wonder what led to that when last season the same game had half the attendance. It had to be the two newest additions to the game, i.e. rookies Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese. But the attendance was not the only highlight of the event.
ESPN, through their sister channel ABC, broadcasted the weekend’s activities and reported that the game between the WNBA All-Stars and Team USA generated 3.4 million views. That is a three-fold increase in viewership when compared to the last All-Star record-holding game. This makes it the third most-viewed NBA event ever.
Something only topped by the first two games in the league’s history. In fact, the effect of this game was felt on the ratings of ESPN’s countdown as well as post-game shows also. Pushing the post-game show to also have a three-fold increase in viewers.
All of this shows the tremendous star power Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese bring in. This is not the first time the two have been setting viewership records. However, with this game, the two now have contributed to the top-3 viewed games this season in the WNBA.
What helped the peak viewing numbers was that both rookies played significant minutes and were not glued to the bench. If the two rookies connecting on one play got the fans in the arenas out of their seats, who knows what the viewership numbers will be next time when both could be starters?
Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese top WNBA jersey sales
The attendance and viewership are not the only proof that Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese are the reason for the WNBA‘s growth. TMZ Sports shared information from Fanatics, the official retail partner of the WNBA about jersey sales so far this season. Their data showed that the two rookies topped the jersey sales.
That is before even the likes of Sabrina Ionescu and A’ja Wilson come into the picture. In fact, the rookies have had a cascading impact on jersey sales league-wide. As Fanatics informed TMZ there was a 500% increase in overall jersey sales. Suggesting that fans are taking note of what is happening in the world of women’s basketball.
All because Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese have elevated themselves to be bonafide superstars. Now if the WNBA can continue to feed off this surge, it will not be long before they can provide more to their players.
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Joseph Varghese
(2265 Articles Published)