The WNBA enters the All-Star break this weekend in its strongest position in years.
Young stars have pushed fandom to new heights over the past three seasons, and its top star, Caitlin Clark, is back after missing most of the last season. Thanks to the boost in popularity, a record 216 games are being broadcast nationally in 2026. Increased exposure may help address one of the biggest roadblocks to fan engagement – limited access to games on TV and streaming.
Access is a challenge across the entire sports industry, but women’s sports faces even greater issues with providing fans with access to games today.
For nearly a decade, Sports Poll has asked fans about their ability to access the sports they want to watch.
Fans are asked to consider all the sporting events they can watch on TV or stream. In 2023, we also began asking fans about their ability to access the women’s sports they want to watch. While 59% of sports fans say they can access all or most of the sports they want to watch in general, only 42% of women’s sports fans say they have access to all or most of the women’s sports they want to watch. Fans recognize that access is more limited compared to the major (male-dominated) U.S. leagues. As fandom increases for the WNBA and other women’s pro and college sports, fans want to see more of these games on TV and streaming services.
However, a growing number of national broadcasts also means a larger number of media partners for the WNBA (including seven partners for 2026). This can create other challenges by requiring fans to have more subscriptions to watch games and making it more difficult to find the games they want to watch.
