Here is the accurate viewership number for the WNBA semis Game 1s: 1.15M avg. for two games, up 10% vs. last year.
1.17M for Liberty–Dream on ABC
1.12M for Aces–Valkyries on NBC/Peacock
Last year:
1.4M for Aces–Fever on ABC
716,000 for Mercury–Lynx on ESPN
Game 1 of the 2026 WNBA Semifinals between the Golden State Valkyries and the Las Vegas Aces drew approximately 500,000 viewers on NBC and Peacock.
Game 1 of the WNBA semifinals between the Atlanta Dream and New York Liberty drew approximately 654,000 viewers.
The matchup, which saw the Valkyries defeat the Aces 71-60 on October 4, 2026, highlighted a substantial post-elimination viewership decline for the league.
For context, the audience was less than a quarter of the 2.1 million average viewers (peaking at 2.6 million) that watched the Aces face the Indiana Fever in Game 1 of the first round just a week prior.
Wait, I thought everybody was tuning in the watch MVP A'ja Wilson play the Valkyries, and even more wanted to watch DPOY Angel Reese defeat the Liberty.
Hmmm, guess not.....
Wilson and Reese play very well, but don't put asses in seats or eyeball on TV's.
There's a metaphor hidden here somewhere......