Unrivaled has taken a massive viewership hit in its second edition, following a promising inaugural season. Built on a stronger player-first mindset and a quick-paced 3v3 format, the tournament is facing empty seats after increasing its arena capacity to 1,000. Amid all the questions about whether the offseason league is sustainable, Indiana Fever star Brianna Turner has shared her two cents, keeping it simple.

“I truly enjoy watching women’s basketball. Idc if it’s college, wnba, euroleague, unrivaled, athletes unlimited, etc. I’m tuning in whenever I get the chance 😌,” Turner wrote on X.

The average viewership for Unrivaled’s opening day in 2025 was 312,000. But in the second year, the inaugural game on Monday afternoon (January 5) attracted an average of just 175,000 viewers across TNT and truTV. It further dipped to 131,000 for the January 9 games across both platforms.

TruTV exclusive games drew lower numbers, averaging 32,000 viewers on opening day and 71,000 across the weekend. It is far less than the 2025 WNBA regular season and playoff average of nearly one million across all networks.

The development of other leagues, such as Project B, is also a threat to Unrivaled in the coming years. Names like Kelsey Mitchell and Alyssa Thomas, players integral to the 3v3 tournament, have already joined Project B. They may not return next year, as both offseason league schedules are set to overlap.

Meanwhile, Brianna Turner and WNBA champion Ariel Atkins are among the pool of players participating in Athletes Unlimited, scheduled to start on February 4.

Unrivaled’s finances aren’t wholly dependent on viewership ratings. It also relies on merchandise sales (every opening-weekend game was sold out) and the Philadelphia tour stop at Xfinity Mobile Arena later this month, both of which are quite profitable, per the league’s spokesperson. Reports suggest that merchandise sales have increased by 50%, and resale tickets for the Philadelphia stop have also increased to $123.

Therefore, Unrivaled CEO Alex Bazzell and Co. don’t seem overly concerned about the league’s sustainability, but frequent player opt-outs and poor viewership are the initial warning signs for league management.

Key founding member of Unrivaled hints at the reason behind the decrease in ratings

While the absence of stars like Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese is pivotal in the decline in viewership, co-founder Breanna Stewart recently shared her perspective, emphasizing the league’s timing and broadcast slots.

“Obviously, you want them to be consistently high no matter if we play on Friday, Saturday, Sunday, or Monday, and know that we have a space of our own here,” Stewart told Front Office Sports. “In the league of sports, people aren’t typically used to seeing women’s professional basketball at this time unless you’re watching EuroLeague or something like that.”

It’s crucial to note that Unrivaled’s schedule has clashed with the NFL Wild Card round and CFP calendar. Sabreena Merchant of The Athletic also predicted that the NBA’s games moving away from TNT could have also played an indirect role in the 3v3 league losing its value.

However, Bazzell is positive despite the decline in viewership. He is willing to bet on the growth of women’s basketball, expressing his confidence in the idea. And while it’s true that Unrivaled has shaken up the women’s basketball landscape, to keep it sustainable, they will have to tackle more than just ratings.

Among these issues are the WNBA’s CBA negotiations, which are currently at a standstill. But if the WNBPA’s proposed figures are agreed upon going forward, the league’s average salary will be a guaranteed $1 million. That will be much higher than the Unrivaled’s average of about $220,000.

If such a condition arises, however unlikely it may seem, Unrivaled will lose its primary objective of offering higher salaries than the WNBA, posing a huge threat to the league’s future.