{
  "id": 17478573,
  "title": "WNBA Finals Game 6 Draws 1.5M Viewers After Scheduling Uproar",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/31/wnba-finals-game-6-draws-1-5m-viewers-after-scheduling-uproar",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-31T21:19:35.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Front Office Sports",
    "slug": "front-office-sports",
    "url": "https://frontofficesports.com/article/wnba-finals-game-6-draws-1-5m-viewers-after-scheduling-uproar/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The WNBA Finals Game 6, drawing 1.5 million viewers, achieved the fifth highest cable ratings for a WNBA Finals game, according to USA Sports. The Dream's 80-69 victory over the Valkyries exceeded expectations despite scheduling concerns. The average audience of 1.7 million, including replays, surpassed last year's Game 4 by 4%. The network initially anticipated the move to Thursday afternoon could decrease viewership by 40% to 60%, but this proved inaccurate. The decision to relocate the game from primetime to 12:30 p.m. ET aimed to prevent a conflict with the NBA's Atlanta Hawks game, which drew a smaller local audience. The WNBA eventually played its first-ever Game 7, with Atlanta seeking its first championship against Golden State.",
  "summary": "The controversial matinee game outdrew last year’s primetime championship clincher.",
  "key_points": [
    "Game 6 drew 1.5 million viewers, fifth highest cable ratings",
    "Dream's 80-69 win over Valkyries exceeded expectations",
    "Network expected 40%-60% viewership drop, but inaccurate"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Newsweek",
        "title": "Game 6 of the WNBA Finals Draws Historic Ratings Despite Unfavorable Time",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/31/game-6-of-the-wnba-finals-draws-historic-ratings-despite-unfavorable",
        "published": "2026-10-31T23:22:50.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}