WUSA average attendance...as of several weeks ago...I think..is hovering just a tad under 7,000. I'll have to hunt down the WNBA 2002 season average. WUSA is having trouble garnering a consisten .1 ... although the last couple of matches have been .1 or higher. WNBA gets between .5 and 1 on NBC and between .3 and .4 on ESPN. Don't know the Oxygen numbers.
ratings in San Diego Normally, the Spirit games on cable 4 get a better rating than the WNBA game. That happened this past week, even though San Diego played a Wednesday game, compared to the weekend game that the WNBA had... and of course the WNBA has the ESPN and NBA publicity machine (and airtime) ehind it.
WUSA attendance at this moment: 6,977 per game (down 14% from last year) WUSA's average TV rating on PAX this year: 0.1, 98,000 TV households The only WNBA attendance numbers I can find for this season at a quick search was 8,995 for an average, but I don't know how official that is. Playoff attendance will not impact this, as in the WNBA, as in all leagues, playoff attendance is not included with regular-season attendance, and at this level of sports, playoff attendance is routinely tougher to come by than regular-season attendance. The WNBA's average rating for seven NBC telecasts this season has been 0.9 (975,857 TVHH).
In summary: WUSA vs. WNBA Attendance: 6.977 vs. 8,995 (or 7,000 vs. 9,000) Ratings: 98,000 vs. 975,857
I am curious about the league's fan bases. Having only been to a few WUSA games, I have never noticed. Both WUSA and the WNBA market themselves as "family friendly" leagues -- cheap entertainment for the suburban minivan set. However, WNBA also has a significant urban lesbian fan base. This has lead to some real problems, as some teams and the league as a whole seem intent on acting as though no lesbian has entered an arena to watch a game. Has this been a problem in WUSA? Law of averages alone says that some of the attendees at a game are lesbians. Have there been conflicts between the league and teams and lesbian fans? BTW -- this is a serious question. I am not trying to start a flame fest here.
Response to Anthony There has been a growing lesbian fan base at Freedom games, and many of their hardcore fans (like hardcore WNBA and LPGA fans) are lesbians. The D.C. gay/lesbian newspaper set up a stand at the last few Freedom home games, but they kept forgetting to bring any actual papers! (not that I am gay, just interested). I don't think there is any real conflict at WNBA or WUSA games, it's just that the leagues/teams don't overtly acknowledge them. I do think that WUSA (and MLS) need to target adult fans more often. There is still a great perception in America that soccer is inherently a kiddie sport, and that the two soccer leagues can't sell more tickets because the kids are too busy playing their own games. But the SAME THING is true of any pro sports league. No major sports league is based on kiddie fans; kids are ALWAYS going to be busy with their own activities/sports as well as, oh yeah, SCHOOL. Plus, of course, they don't have their own money/transportation. There are only 25 or so home games COMBINED for the United/Freedom during the summer season, as opposed to 81 home games for baseball. Plus, baseball is more boring and lasts 3 hours or more, as opposed to the concise 2 hours for soccer. If kids are too busy with their own crap to go to pro soccer games, who the hell goes to all those baseball games? If kids are too busy with their own crap PLUS SCHOOL during the basketball/ice hockey season, who the heck goes to their 40-odd home games? (Again, as opposed to the 25 COMBINED pro soccer home games).......
I think the reluctance by the WNBA to boldly "embrace" their lesbian base has more to do with sponsorship dollars than whose butts are in the seats. Sponsors assume their product/service would lose business if it were associated more with lesbianism than family fun. Not long ago some NY Liberty fans staged "kissing" protests to express their disgust over the Liberty's ignoring them - pointedly to NY's GM Carol Blazejowski, who also happens to be a lesbian. Yes, the WUSA needs to do a better job of marketing to adults. How, exactly, I'm not sure.