Women’s sports viewership surging in 2026

August 14, 2026

Women’s sports viewership is surging in 2026, with 28.3 billion minutes watched in the first half of the year—up 18% from 2025—and 52% of the U.S. population now expressing interest, while the share with “no interest” has fallen nearly 20% in three years. The WNBA is a major driver: games on ABC/ESPN average 1.2 million viewers (up 5% year over year), and across all networks regular-season WNBA games are averaging about 756,000 viewers. ESPN’s strategic shift to “Women’s Sports Sundays” and broader promotion reflects a 50-50 male–female audience split, underscoring that growth is coming from all fans, not just women. Awful Announcing