Valkyries-Dream WNBA Finals set viewership records, with league's most-watched game in 30 years

The Golden State Valkyries‘ seven-game bout with the Atlanta Dream set a WNBA Finals viewership record. 

Preliminary numbers show that 3.3 million people tuned in to USA Network, CNBC and Peacock to watch the Valkyries claim the title in Game 7 on Halloween night, according to a spokesperson for USA Network. 

That makes Game 7 the most-watched WNBA game since its inaugural weekend in 1997. 

Figures indicate that people tuned in despite a handful of odd start times. 

Game 6 was pushed from primetime on Thursday, Oct. 29 to a 12:30 p.m. ET tipoff in order to host the game at the 17,000 capacity State Farm Arena. The game sold out despite it happening midday on a weekday and being announced on short notice, according to the Dream.

It also drew 1.5 million viewers across all networks with an extra bump to 1.7 million to include those who tuned in for the encore performance across USA Network, E!, SYFY, Peacock and CNBC at 8 p.m. ET, a spokesperson said.

Game 4, which happened in the afternoon in Atlanta on Saturday, Oct. 24, averaged 1.9 million viewers on NBC and Peacock. Those figures make it the most-watched Finals Game 4 in the league’s history, the league announced.

Game 1, which aired on Saturday Oct. 17 on NBC and Peacock also set a record with 2.1 million viewers, the most of any Finals Game 1 in WNBA history. 

That Tuesday, Game 2 drew 1.33 million on USA, CNBC and Peacock and Game 3 on Wednesday night drew 1.7 million on the same platforms.

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This article originally published at Valkyries-Dream WNBA Finals set viewership records, with league’s most-watched game in 30 years.