- WNBA fan interest is up eight points YoY
- Over half of Sports Fans believe WNBA deserves more coverage
- 3 in 5 Americans demand more promotion of all women’s sports
In the roiling sea of sports opinion there is one constant over the last two years: the support for the WNBA and women’s sports. Those who follow the WNBA grew eight points between October 2024 and April 2025 (57% to 65%). The league is supported by a majority of American sports fans (54%) and three-fifths of avid fans (61%) who believe The W’s 29th edition deserves more coverage. Nearly 4 of 5 (79%) WNBA fans agree.
Additionally, nearly three in five Americans (58%) today recognize the societal value of women’s sports, a level that is consistent since February 2023. A similar majority of Americans believe the sports eco-system of networks, media platforms, and advertisers shoulder a responsibility to promote women’s sports, including the WNBA and beyond.
These are the results of two Seton Hall Sports Polls conducted April 21-23rd (WNBA) and April 4-8th (Women’s Sports and Media Networks) among 1,531 and 1,501 adults, respectively. The Poll, which is sponsored by The Sharkey Institute within Seton Hall University’s Stillman School of Business, features a national representative sample from YouGov Plc. weighted on U.S. Census Bureau figures for age, gender, ethnicity, education, income and geography and has a margin of error of +/-3.0 percent.
“The WNBA is the likely next beneficiary of the resounding interest in women’s sport on all levels,” said Charles Grantham, Director of the Center for Sport Management in the Stillman School of Business at Seton Hall University. “It is a testing ground for the media to respond to the sustained interest in professional and amateur competition by women in all sports. The public is watching. The sports networks are on the clock.”
Women’s Sports Value to Society Grows
When examining the societal value of women’s sports, the Poll found the greatest support among sports fans (66%), avid fans (71%), and youthful fans (18-34, 60%). Most notable is the general population’s demand for media entities to promote the growth of women’s sports grew by five points from June 2024 to April 2025 (53% to 58%). Greater growth in those same ten months is evidenced among sports fans (59% to 68%) and avid fans (64% to 71%).
“Whether traditional media like broadcast television or streaming platforms, and advertiser or carrier, the public is sending a message: we want more women’s sports,” said Daniel Ladik, Marketing Professor in the Stillman School of Business and Methodologist for the Poll. “In just one year since Caitlin Clark electrified the NCAA Women’s Basketball community, the growth continues to rise by nearly ten percent. This is an opportunity for all stakeholders to buy more tickets on the women’s sports train.”
April 2025 Seton Hall Sports Polls
Daniel Ladik, Ph.D., Chief Methodologist – Daniel.Ladik@shu.edu
These Polls were conducted April 4th through April 8th and April 21st through April 23rd includes responses from 1,501 and 1,531 U.S. adults respectively, with a margin of error of 3%. The sample mirrors the U.S. census percentages on age, gender, income, education, ethnicity, and region. Previous Polls can be found at https://blogs.shu.edu/sportspoll/
Q1. Which of the following statements best describes you? (From Poll conducted: April 4th – 8th)
*Note: Presented in each table Avid + Casual = total sports fandom in the data. Some tables break out the Avid and Casual segments.
Q1. Which of the following statements best describes you? (From Poll conducted: April 21st – 23rd)
*Note: Presented in each table Avid + Casual = total sports fandom in the data. Some tables break out the Avid and Casual segments.
Q6a. There is a societal value to women’s sports in the United States (From Poll conducted: April 4th -8th).
Q12a. There is a societal value to women’s sports in the United States (From Poll conducted: June 19th –21st, 2024).
Further insights from these questions include:
- Male respondents (59%) are slightly more likely to agree than female respondents (57%)
- The 18-34 subgroup (60%) is most supportive of the societal value to women’s sports out of all age group
- Support has declined in the 18-34 subgroup (7 pts) and the 35-54 subgroup (5 pts) from June 2024 to April 2025
- There is an equivalent decline among males and females, agreement with the question has declined from June 2024 to April 2025
Q7a. Networks, advertisers and other media platforms (e.g. streaming, social media, etc.) have a responsibility to promote the growth of women’s sports (From Poll conducted April 4th – 8th).
Q13a. Networks, advertisers and other media platforms (e.g. streaming, social media, etc.) have a responsibility to promote the growth of women’s sports (From Poll conducted June 19th –21st, 2024).
Further insights from these questions include:
- General Population support for a responsibility of businesses to promote Women’s Sports has increased by 5 points
- Male respondents (59%) are more likely to support businesses that promote Women’s Sports than Female respondents (57%) as of April 2025
- Nearly 3 out of 4 Avid Fans believe that advertisement businesses have a responsibility to promote Women’s Sports
Q3a. For the upcoming 2025 WNBA season, I expect to spend more time following (e.g. attending, watching, reading, etc.) WNBA games and players than the previous season (2024) (From Poll conducted April 21st – 23rd).
Q8a. During the 2024 WNBA season, I spent more time following (e.g., attending, watching, reading, etc.) WNBA games and players than the previous season (2023) (From Poll conducted October 25th – 28th, 2024).
Further insights from these questions include:
- WNBA fans are expecting to spend more time following the 2025 WNBA season than the 2024 season (+8pts)
Q3b. The WNBA deserves more live and post-game coverage and visibility (e.g. prime-time games on major networks and coverage in the national sports press) (From Poll conducted April 21st – 23rd).
Further insights from this question include:
- Over three quarters of self-proclaimed WNBA fans (79%) believe the WNBA needs more media coverage
- Less than half of women surveyed (45%) agree with more media coverage of the WNBA
- Nearly 40% of women surveyed, have no opinion on the matter
- Over half of the 18-34 demographic (57%) support more WNBA media coverage