NEW YORK, NY — The 2026 WNBA Finals between the Golden State Valkyries and Atlanta Dream delivered the most-watched WNBA Finals since 1999, highlighted by 3.3 million viewers for the Valkyries’ championship-clinching Game 7 victory, the most-watched postseason game in league history.

WNBA Finals records were also set for attendance and merchandise sales. Highlights include:

Viewership

The seven-game series averaged 1.88 million viewers*, the most for a WNBA Finals since 1999 and up 30 percent from 2025.

• Game 7 on USA Network, CNBC, and Peacock averaged 3.3 million viewers as the Valkyries clinched their first WNBA championship in just their second year as a franchise, making it the most-watched WNBA postseason game ever. Game 7 was also the most-watched WNBA game ever on cable, with viewership up 128 percent from 2025’s clinching game.
• Game 6 on USA Network, CNBC, and Peacock averaged 1.5 million viewers, making it the fifth-most-watched WNBA Finals game ever on cable.
• Game 5 on USA Network, E!, SYFY, and Peacock averaged 1.43 million viewers, making it the second-most-watched WNBA Finals Game 5 ever.
• Game 4 on NBC and Peacock averaged 1.9 million viewers, making it the most-watched WNBA Finals Game 4 ever.
• Game 3 on USA Network, CNBC, and Peacock averaged 1.71 million viewers, making it the most-watched WNBA Finals Game 3 ever on cable.
• Game 2 on USA Network, CNBC, and Peacock averaged 1.33 million viewers, making it the most-watched WNBA Finals Game 2 ever on cable.
• Game 1 on NBC and Peacock averaged 2.1 million viewers and peaked at 3 million, making it the most-watched WNBA Finals opener in a multigame series.

The Finals capped the WNBA’s most-watched postseason since its inaugural season in 1997, averaging 1.49 million viewers, up 27 percent from 2025.

Attendance and Ticket Sales

The seven sellouts set WNBA Finals records for total attendance (123,553) and average attendance (17,650), as fans packed both arenas to their maximum capacities across the entire series. The full 2026 WNBA postseason generated record gate revenue, more than doubling the previous record set in 2024. The league surpassed that record by the conclusion of the Semifinals.

Merchandise

• Within 48 hours of their Game 7 victory, the Valkyries became the best-selling WNBA champion ever, setting a league record for WNBA championship merchandise sales.
• In the first 48 hours following the Valkyries’ championship win, merchandise sales through WNBAStore.com and WNBA-owned stores exceeded sales from the 30 days following last year’s championship by 42 percent.

Information Courtesy of The Women’s National Basketball Association

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