'Unrivaled' women's basketball league silences critics after record-breaking attendance in first tour stop
Unrivaled started out as an idea, and it has turned into a phenomenon.
The three-on-three women's basketball league began last year in Miami, and this year the league has decided to go on tour. Its first stop on Friday night resulted in record-breaking numbers at a sold-out doubleheader.
With 21,490 fans in attendance at Philadelphia's Xfinity Mobile Arena, Unrivaled set the all-time records for the highest-attended regular-season professional women's basketball game and the most-attended event ever at the arena that plays host to the Philadelphia 76ers and Flyers, as well as plenty of concerts.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXBUSINESS.COM
The previous respective records were 20,711, set by Caitlin Clark's Indiana Fever and the Washington Mystics on Sept. 19, 2024, and 21,424, set by the Backstreet Boys’ "Into the Millennium" Tour on Sept. 29, 1999.
Some critics may be surprised, considering the low viewership numbers early in the league's second season. But David Levy, an early investor of the league and former president of TNT Sports, felt the numbers were skewed and success was on the horizon.
"I'm totally shocked that, and maybe I shouldn't be with what's going on in the world these days with news, how negative people got in the first two weeks of Unrivaled. The first two weeks, we ran into football. Football, NFL, college, Monday nights, championship game, you think anybody’s gonna watch Unrivaled? Probably not," Levy admitted in a recent interview with FOX Business. "So, to all of a sudden come out and go, ‘The league is dead.’ No, it's shocking to me."
BRITTNEY GRINER COMPARES RUSSIAN PRISON EXPERIENCE TO CURRENT ICE ENFORCEMENT IN UNITED STATES
League sources told FOX Business that Unrivaled is on track to eclipse $40 million in league revenue this season, up more than 48 percent from last season's $27 million revenue. Even during the low-ratings weekend, Levy mentioned, social engagement was way up. Merchandise sales are also up 54% from September through the end of opening weekend this season compared to that same time period last season.
"I’m about the facts. The facts are, every single other metric is up," Levy said.
Levy said he knew the league would be a hit when he realized that the quality of play was A-plus.
"The most important thing is the product on the floor has to be great. I didn’t know that out of the gate. I didn't know how hard these girls were gonna play. I didn't. Was this gonna be more of a scrimmage? But after the first two weeks, I knew it was gold," Levy said.
Clark and A'ja Wilson, arguably the WNBA's two biggest stars, have yet to join the league. But that's OK for now, Levy said.
"If you had closed your eyes and tried to say, ‘What if this was an NBA product? And you had the top 56 NBA players except Steph Curry and LeBron didn't play, but everybody else was in. This would be the hottest thing during the summer. If that was a summer league, it would be sold out," Levy said.
GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERE
"It's every single great player playing in a three-on-three league. It is absolutely a huge opportunity, and that's why I think it just rose so fast. The quality of play, the names on the back of the jerseys, the social strategy is amazing. These women, they all have equity. Everyone has a following; women athletes completely engage with their fans. The breadth of impressions, I think, is a phenomenal one. I think that's why the league is as successful as it is after just a year and three weeks."
Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.