Northeast Ohio sports fans are showing their loyalty once again for a team that won’t hit the court until 2028.
The new Cleveland WNBA, awarded by the league to Rock Entertainment Group and Dan Gilbert, has secured 2,500 commitments for season tickets for their inaugural season, according to a report from Crain’s Cleveland Business. The team, which reportedly cost $250 million, will begin play in 2028 as the league’s 16th franchise.
The times, they are a changin’ for women’s sports with WNBA revenue, TV viewership up
Cleveland’s last WNBA franchise, the Rockers, played from 1997-2003, but when they ceased play, the sports universe was vastly different – especially women’s sports.
Revenue from women’s sports eclipsed more than a billion dollars in 2024 and, according to a study from Deloitte, a financial services and a consulting firm, that number will grow to $2.35 billion, a record.
The WNBA has been a huge beneficiary of that as star power injected in the form of Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark and Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese has brought excitement to the league.
According to a WNBA release, attendance increased by 50% in 2024 and TV viewership on ESPN increase by 170% across its platforms. Viewership on CBS Sports and ION, other broadcast partners, rose 86% and 133%, respectively, according to the WNBA.
The enthusiasm for the WNBA’s Cleveland team should be no surprise
Given the passion of sports fans in Northeast Ohio, the early support for Cleveland’s newest franchise comes as no surprise. This is a region that has stood by the Browns — a team that has struggled for much of the three decades since returning to play — the Guardians, who have remained competitive but fallen short of a championship, and the Cavaliers, who lost their star player not once, but twice.
That they are showing enthusiasm for the WNBA, given the league’s surge and popularity, is a no-brainer.
George M. Thomas covers a myriad of things including sports and pop culture, but mostly sports, he thinks, for the Beacon Journal.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Northeast Ohio sports fans step up for WNBA expansion team with 2,500 reservations
Reporting by George M. Thomas, Akron Beacon Journal / Akron Beacon Journal
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