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Las Vegas sports teams driving increased sports viewership
Updated September 22, 2023
The WNBA continues to demonstrate robust performance, achieving its most-watched regular season in 21 years and the highest average attendance since 2018.
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Across its national television partners, viewership surged by 21% compared to the previous year. The league’s average attendance of 6,615 fans marked its highest since the 2018 season.
The 2023 WNBA regular season is in the books and it concluded with some record-breaking viewership numbers, per the @WNBA:
◻️ Most-watched regular-season in 21 years ◻️ Up 21% over ABC, CBS, ESPN, ESPN2 ◻️ Highest total attendance in 13 years pic.twitter.com/XNuDRn0OwZ
This impressive growth in attendance can be attributed in part to the expanded schedule of 40 games this season, resulting in the highest total attendance in 13 years, reaching 1,587,488 attendees.
WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert expressed her thoughts on this significant uptick in key business metrics, emphasizing the captivating games, expanding appeal, and compelling player narratives that have contributed to this surge of interest.
Notably, the defending champion Aces saw the highest average attendance increase, with a league-leading 9,551 fans per game—a remarkable 66% increase from the previous season.
Their game against the Phoenix Mercury on the final day of the regular season, hosted at the larger T-Mobile Arena, drew an impressive crowd of 17,406, surpassing their regular venue’s capacity of around 12,000.
Aces President Nikki Fargas attributed this success to not only their championship wins but also the community’s appreciation for the dedication and talent of the WNBA players.
The league also achieved new milestones in digital engagement, social media interaction, and sports betting on FanDuel’s website, doubling the number of bets and wagered amounts from the previous year.
The WNBA’s media rights deal with ESPN is set to expire in 2025, offering potential opportunities for further growth and expansion.
Speaking of growth and expansion, the Las Vegas Golden Knights have made the move to allow more fans to watch their games.
Cox Communications customers can now breathe a sigh of relief when it comes to watching the Golden Knights on TV this year.
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Cox has successfully negotiated an agreement with Scripps Sports to broadcast Vegas 34 on cable channel 38, as confirmed by Cox to the Sun today.
This new channel will be up and running on Thursday, just in time for the Golden Knights’ preseason opener against the San Jose Sharks on Sunday.
Vegas 34 will carry all preseason games, 69 regular season games that are not exclusive to ESPN and Turner, as well as the first round of the playoffs.
The channel made its debut on August 29th.
The Vegas Golden Knights have agreed to a multi-year deal with Scripps Sports.
Beginning next season, residents of Nevada and the team’s TV territory will be able to watch local game broadcasts over the air — for free. pic.twitter.com/ORkWV2DntJ
In May, Scripps Sports announced a multiyear agreement to become the new TV home of the Golden Knights, ending a six-year partnership with AT&T SportsNet-Rocky Mountain, which Warner Bros. Discovery operates.
The Golden Knights made history by becoming the first NHL team to depart from the regional sports network model after Diamond Sports Group, the operator of the Bally Sports Networks, filed for bankruptcy earlier this year.
For those looking to tune in, Vegas 34 can be accessed over the air on channel 34.1, DirecTV channel 34, and DISH channel 32 in Las Vegas.
As for cord-cutting options like YouTube TV, Fubo, or Hulu, there currently need to be plans to carry Vegas 34 on these platforms.
However, the Golden Knights streaming service, in partnership with ViewLift, is set to launch on Sunday, with subscription pricing yet to be announced.
As a die-hard sports enthusiast, my passion for watching and following the latest sports events is unrivaled. In fact, I often spend most of my leisure time glued to my TV screen, soaking in the adrenaline and excitement of the games. But it's not just about the thrill of the game for me - I also have a knack for writing about sports, which is why I'm a proud writer for the Vegas Betting.
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