The new women’s basketball league, *Unrivaled*, which we predicted would be dead on arrival without Caitlin Clark, has indeed met that exact fate. Let’s just say *Unrivaled* has already unraveled, and we’re only getting started.
The funniest part about all this? The ratings they released. TNT Sports must be dizzy from all the spin they’re putting on it, and even *Front Office Sports* tried to make it look better. But here’s the truth: **the ratings are bad**—really bad.
Angel Reese keeps telling us that Caitlin Clark isn’t the only one drawing attention to women’s basketball, that she and others are bringing in new viewers. But these ratings tell a different story. The numbers prove that **nobody is tuning in to watch Angel Reese**.
In fact, viewership **dropped** from the first game to the second game on *Unrivaled’s* debut night. Why is that significant? Angel Reese played in the second game. That means more people watched the first game, and when hers came on—**viewership went down**.
So tell me again how she’s “moving the needle”? People literally **tuned out** when her game started. That’s hilarious.
TNT took its time releasing these ratings, probably because they were scrambling to find a positive angle. And yet, when the numbers finally dropped, they told the truth.
The two debut games on Friday night averaged **around 312,000 viewers** across TNT and TruTV. And here’s the key point:
**These games aired on TWO channels and still barely pulled 300,000 viewers.** That’s laughable.
TNT tried to spin it, claiming that “most women’s basketball games on TNT Sports” get similar numbers. But the previous women’s basketball game on their network? **LSU vs. Colorado**—which isn’t even a professional game—**drew similar numbers**.
The *Rose Basketball Club*, Angel Reese’s team, played in the second game of the night. And yet, despite her being one of the most talked-about players in women’s basketball, the ratings **dropped** during her game.
Meanwhile, they bragged about *Unrivaled* content getting “31 million views across Bleacher Report platforms.” You know what that really means? **People watched short highlights on social media, not full games.** The NBA gets tons of social media views too, but that doesn’t mean people actually sit down to watch games.
And let’s be real—Angel Reese only went viral because she **missed an insane number of layups**, which people roasted her for online. That’s why she got views.
TNT can’t publicly trash its own programming, but there’s no way the executives are happy about these numbers. They tried to act like they were strong, but it’s clear they’re **lying**.
Compare this to the WNBA with Caitlin Clark. Even WNBA games **without** Clark have averaged **400,000+ viewers** this season. The WNBA Finals, even without Clark, pulled in **millions**. But when Clark plays? Viewership **skyrockets**. Her last Indiana Fever playoff game had **2.64 million viewers**.
Now look at *Unrivaled*. On **opening night**, it couldn’t even pull **400,000 viewers**. That’s a **disaster**.
Angel Reese, supposedly the second most popular player in women’s basketball, played on Friday—and still, **people tuned out**.
People are already joking about how unwatchable this league is. Someone said they were going to watch, but cornhole and pickleball were on instead. That about sums it up.
And let’s be real—what men’s league is going to subsidize this? Unlike the WNBA, which has the NBA’s financial backing, *Unrivaled* has no major league propping it up.
TNT is financially invested in this league, so they won’t fold it immediately. They’ll probably try to drag it into a second or even third season just to save face. But **they can’t keep hemorrhaging money forever**.
Angel Reese said it’s not about just one player. That people would watch regardless.
Well… **they didn’t.**
No surprise there. Nothing about this league is appealing. I’d rather watch paint dry.
The ratings will only drop further. People checked it out once, got bored, and won’t come back. We said months ago that *Unrivaled* would unravel without Caitlin Clark.
