Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images Drew Lerner Sun, October 25, 2026 at 7:00 PM UTC · 2 min read About Our Ads Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Even tucked away on a pair of cable networks not necessarily known for sports coverage, Game 3 of the WNBA Finals broke a viewership mark held for over 25 years.
Wednesday's WNBA Finals Game 3 between the Golden State Valkyries and Atlanta Dream averaged 1.71 million viewers across USA Network, CNBC, and Peacock, according to data from Jon Lewis of Sports Media Watch. The Dream's win was the most-watched WNBA Finals Game 3 since 1999, when a winner-take-all game between the Liberty and Comets averaged 3.25 million viewers on NBC.
Per Lewis, it is the third-most watched WNBA Finals game ever on cable, behind only a winner-take-all Game 5 between the Lynx and Liberty on ESPN in 2024 (2.15 million viewers), and Game 1 of Mercury-Aces last season (1.86 million viewers on ESPN). It also ranks as the ninth-most watched WNBA Finals audience ever. Viewership for Wednesday's game increased by 31% year-over-year versus Mercury-Aces last season (1.30 million viewers).
Game 3 was the second WNBA Finals game to air on USA Network, CNBC, and Peacock as part of the league's new media rights deals, which will see the series rotate between NBC/Versant, ESPN, and Prime Video. It healthily outdrew Game 2 on USA Network, CNBC, E!, and Peacock, which averaged 1.33 million viewers. While exact splits for Game 3 were not immediately available, nearly half of the Game 2 audience tuned in on Peacock rather than one of the three cable networks.
Game 3 was the first game of the series not to directly compete with football, with Game 1 facing college football last Saturday and Game 2 up against Monday Night Football . Viewership for Saturday's Game 4 on NBC and Peacock is not yet available, but each game from here on out will air across USA Network, CNBC, and Peacock. All will also face football competition.
Per Lewis, Game 3 was the 12th-consecutive WNBA Finals game to eclipse one million viewers after the previous 80 games failed to reach the threshold.
With the series currently tied 2-2, this WNBA Finals is guaranteed to be the longest in the league's history after moving to a best-of-seven format this season. Considering the strong viewership for the first three games, a potential Game 7 could draw a very impressive audience for the league.
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Source: Sports
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