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FBI Wire on Newsom, Empire State Proposal & Mamdani's War on AC | PBD Podcast #827
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Caitlin Clark's WNBA Numbers Are Undeniable — And They Still Want Her Gone
At 1:53:00 · chapter starts 1:46:20
Patrick delivers a data-driven segment on Caitlin Clark's impact on the WNBA, citing statistics across every key metric: average national TV viewership rose 186% from 462,000 to 1.32 million per game; total league attendance rose 48% to 2.35 million; sellouts increased 242% from 45,000 to 154,000; ESPN viewership rose 170%; merchandise sales jumped 600% league-wide; and League Pass subscriptions surged 366%. [1] — Patrick Bet-David "Caitlin Clark's first WNBA season produced a 186% surge in TV viewership, 600% rise in league-wide merch sales, 242% more sellouts, and a 3…" 1:50:50 Against that backdrop, media figure Emmanuel Acho argued in a viral clip that the WNBA no longer needs Clark because she's 'already done what she needed to do.' Patrick and Tom counter that the league's jealousy toward Clark stems from the fact that she drove the TV deal and salary increases that other players now benefit from, while some remain openly resentful that she's receiving the credit. A clip of player Sophie Cunningham defending Clark physically — described as a 'Bill Laimbeer' enforcer move — is shown approvingly. Patrick also notes that the WNBA's 30th-anniversary poster conspicuously omitted Clark, and that she continues to face hard fouls that go uncalled. Adam, who self-identifies as 'no fan of the WNBA,' concludes: 'Two things can be true at once. The league is useless, but she's a great player.'
Caitlin Clark's first WNBA season produced a 186% surge in TV viewership, 600% rise in league-wide merch sales, 242% more sellouts, and a 366% jump in League Pass subscriptions. And some players still want her gone. The numbers are the rebuttal.
National TV viewership for WNBA games jumped from 462,000 to 1.32 million per game — a 186% rise — in just one year after Caitlin Clark entered the league.
WNBA sellout games rose 242%, from 45,000 to 154,000, in Caitlin Clark's debut season.
League-wide WNBA merchandise sales rose 600% in the single year after Caitlin Clark joined the league in 2023.
WNBA League Pass subscriptions increased 366% year-over-year following Caitlin Clark's debut season.
