The second season of Unrivaled is well underway, and the joy of seeing some of the best basketball players in the world on a 3x3 court is being usurped by reports that paint a dismal picture of what is still a very successful league.
Sure: TV viewership isn't what it was this time last year. For what it's worth, Unrivaled wasn't even playing literally this time last year: the first season began on January 17, 2025; this year the league moved things up two weeks so that several players can make a Team USA basketball camp in March. That earlier start date has meant the league is competing with the NFL and with college basketball for viewers — and that's not an easy spot to be in.
It's also worth noting that a not insignificant portion of the Unrivaled fan base isn't watching TNT or truTV at all, they're streaming the games on HBO Max. Those numbers are not measured by Nielsen, which reports television viewing numbers.
Viewership isn't what matters most for Unrivaled
Viewership numbers are useful, and, of course, any nationally televised sports league wants to see numbers grow and improve over time. But Unrivaled is most interested in playing the long game: the league wasn't started because its co-founders and leadership wanted to have the most viewers, it was started to give professional women's basketball players the opportunity to stay in the United States, hoop, and benefit from the very best in terms of diet, staff, and facilities.
To that end, Unrivaled remains successful and unmatched. At a time when everyone has an idea about what should or shouldn't be happening in women's basketball — when hot takes abound but research and questioning remains woefully low — it may be beneficial to keep in mind what the league's long term goals really are.
While the league can't claim to be brand new anymore, and while it's possible that the novelty of having something unprecedented is what sparked last year's viewership numbers, the team at Unrivaled has made it clear that they are focused on the long term growth, health, and viability of the league and of its players, full stop.
Dismal forecasts may attract readers, and cleverly worded social media posts might get shared, but Unrivaled is still Unrivaled at the end of the day: a truly unique basketball experience that allows fans close access to the best of the best, and gives those players opportunities their forebears could only have dreamed of.