Completing its second season, the Unrivaled league spoke about its plans to expand into the bigger market. The key reason for this plan and confidence was the commercial muscle power the Unrivalled league received following the hugely successful Philadelphia and Brooklyn tours. The league recorded a massive $18m revenue jump after the Barclays sellout, which was an encouraging sign.
But two days after the season wrap-up, the TV ratings were out, where the league saw a dip in its numbers. NBA Legend-turned-investor Michael Redd commented on the drop in the Unrivalled Season 2 TV Ratings in his latest post.
Michael Redd Accepts Fall In Unrivaled Season 2 TV Ratings
When the Unrivaled league expanded to eight teams, it declared its schedule just before the start of the season. Many WNBA fans criticize Unrivaled’s weekday game times during work hours, calling them an accessibility issue that sparks outrage. Fans were not wrong as the final day result saw a mixed response from the TV audiences.
Addressing the same, Michael Redd commented on the news of a drop in viewership and wrote, “Enjoy many(!) aspects of Unrivaled, but we’re jumping through hoops here to make the TV numbers work. Bottom line: TV viewership was down year over-year. A lot of other numbers were up — sponsorships, attendance, merch, etc. — but TV was down across the board and for Championship game.”
Enjoy many(!) aspects of Unrivaled, but we're jumping through hoops here to make the TV numbers work.
— Michael Redd (@MichaelRedd_) March 9, 2026
Bottom line:
TV viewership was down year over-year. A lot of other numbers were up — sponsorships, attendance, merch, etc. — but TV was down across the board and for… https://t.co/r87Q2XAOxb
According to ESPN, Unrivalled’s 2026 playoff viewership sank 9% while the season opener saw an average of 175,000 viewers tuning in, which was also below last season’s ratings. For the finals, the league saw a 14% dip from last year’s 364,000 views.
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Another investor in the league, Paige Bueckers, though, spoke about the positive side of the 3-on-3 league and how it helped her to quickly form bonds with the players.
Paige Bueckers Credits Unrivaled Chemistry Among Players
The USA Basketball Team will be playing in the World Cup qualifiers, and several players on the roster played in the Unrivaled league. The Breeze BC’s Paige Bueckers is one of them, and she credited the league for helping the players form a close bond.
“Yeah, it’s really like we built a great relationship at Unrivaled. I mean, you could see it when you watch — we were competitive, we were going at each other,” Bueckers said. “I think that’s the best way to show respect. So that just carries here, but now we’re on the same team, so it’s a lot more fun that way.”
The 2025 Rookie even spoke about playing alongside Chelsea Grey after experiencing her clutch plays at the Unrivaled league. She added that playing in the 3-on-3 format earlier, the court now feels bigger, and it’s also a kind of experience that the new league gave them.