A successful inaugural season behind it, Unrivaled is eyeing a long future in women's sports

MEDLEY, Fla. (AP) — Unrivaled, the 3-on-3 women's basketball league founded by WNBA stars Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier, is eyeing a sustained future in women's sports after concluding its inaugural season in Miami.

The league debuted in January at a point of huge growth and momentum in women's sports and wrapped up its eight-week season with Rose winning the first championship on Monday. While WNBA players have historically competed overseas to supplement their income during the offseason, Unrivaled set out to give them a domestic alternative while pushing athlete development, fast-paced and physical play and substantial player salaries.

While platforming some of the game's biggest stars like Chicago Sky rookie Angel Reese, Olympic gold medalist Brittney Griner and others, Unrivaled averaged 221,000 viewers on TNT and truTV during its regular season and two-day postseason, the league announced Thursday. The league said it sold out every game held at the new Wayfair Arena — which seats 850 people — with ticket sales surpassing seven figures.

Unrivaled coverage reached more than 11.9 million viewers across TNT and truTV and delivered the 10 most-watched women’s basketball games ever on TNT Sports’ networks, the league said. Games were also available for livestreaming on Max, resulting in the 10 most-streamed women’s basketball games on the service.

Monday's final between Rose and Vinyl averaged 364,000 viewers with a peak of 385,000 — a 99% increase from the regular season. And 398,000 people watched Collier take home $200,000 after winning Unrivaled's midseason 1 on 1 tournament last month.

“We’ve built an incredible foundation,” Unrivaled president Alex Bazzell said in an end-of-season news conference. "Based on what the viewership is, now it’s our job to — how do we grow that a bit? We’re very proud about where we stand in the women’s sports ecosystem of viewership. And what I’ve said all along is we’re not going to go out there and do WNBA numbers in Year 1.

“But if you look at our viewership, the fact that we’re holding is a real sign the product is sticking.”

Collier's six-figure payday was the largest one-day prize in women’s basketball history, Unrivaled commissioner Micky Lawler said. That was part of the league's goal in setting a new standard for pay in women's sports.

Players had an average salary of more than $220,000 — the highest average salary for players of any professional women’s sports league and close to the maximum base salary in the WNBA. The league reached more than $8.65 million in total compensation earned by players between their salary pool, 1 on 1 tournament, and championship, on top of the equity they receive in the league. Each player on the championship-winning Rose squad took home $50,000.

Leading up to its launch, Unrivaled raised more than $35 million from various sources and dozens of individual investors, including Stephen Curry, Dawn Staley, Geno Auriemma and Coco Gauff.

Fan interest was high all season. The league’s main social media accounts reached almost 400,000 total followers, and the 36 Unrivaled players collectively gained nearly 1 million followers since the season began in January.

Players praised the experience, from the training facility and weight room at WayFair Arena to all of the child care options like nursing rooms on-site.

Unrivaled will continue with six teams in Year 2 and will remain based in Miami but could potentially explore other markets. There are plans for possible expansion in the future, Bazzell said, but the league wants to find a way to do it without cutting into player salaries.

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AP WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball