The WTA has revealed record viewership numbers for the 2024 season as the impact of women’s tennis continues to expand.
According to the WTA, the 2024 season’s cumulative audience reached 1.1 billion, representing a 10% increase compared to the previous year. This is the organisation’s second consecutive viewership record after reaching 1 billion for the first time in 2023.
Marina Storti, Chief Executive of WTA Ventures, said: “It is great to see that the WTA is connecting with fans around the world in record numbers, providing further confirmation of the growing impact of women’s tennis.
“To reach a cumulative total audience of 1.1 billion is a remarkable achievement highlighting the drama and excitement delivered by the WTA’s brilliant players.”
On-site attendance also saw a rise of 15% to 3.5 million, which was matched by an increase in engagement media as WTA’s official channels recorded a rise of 25% to 6.4 million during the season.
Looking at the demographics of the audience, analysis shows that two-thirds of WTA’s global audience is aged under 45 and has a higher-than-average income compared to sports fans as a whole.
Additionally, the WTA found that 59% of its viewership takes notice of its sponsors, versus 47% of sports fans in general. These statistics will be music to the ears of its current sponsors and may attract future partnerships.
Talking of strategic deals, two significant collaborations played key roles in achieving this new record. Firstly, WTA’s Finals Riyadh presented by PIF – Saudi’s Public Investment Fund – attracted the largest audience of any finals in WTA history. The global audience for this event reached 78 million, an increase of 160% compared to the previous year.
As part of the agreement, 2024’s Finals featured a record prize pool of $15.25m, which Storti told Insider Sport last year, would “grow further in subsequent years”.
Secondly, a one-year broadcast agreement with China’s leading sports broadcaster, CCTV-5, and other services operated by China Media Group led to substantial growth in viewership in the country.
“We’re especially proud to see the strong performance of the first edition of the WTA Finals Riyadh, which attracted the biggest Finals audience in WTA history,” Storti concluded. “As the 2025 season builds, our aim is to keep elevating women’s tennis, deepen engagement with fans, and make the WTA a must-watch for even more people around the world.”
