• Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) achieved 140% increase in online search growth, the greatest of any major sports property
• 9 out of top 10 are women’s or mixed gender sports properties – reflecting consistent growth for women’s sport over past 4 years
• Innovative, short‐form, fast‐paced properties like FIA World Endurance Championship, Ultimate Tennis Showdown dominate top 5

The WNBA has retained its top-ranking for global online search growth in our SportOnSocial Global Sports Properties 2026 report.

Drawing on data from Google Trends, the WNBA achieved an impressive 140% increase in global online searches in 2025, outperforming every other major sports entity worldwide. The league keeps hold of the top spot despite star athlete Caitlin Clark missing significant playing time through injury. This reflects the consistent growth across women’s sport as the sector continues to enjoy broader global brand and commercial appeal. 

This is evidenced by WNBA TV viewership in 2025 being 21% higher compared to 2024, and attendance broke a 37-year record. 

Innovative formats lead the way 

Another key trend in our SportOnSocial Global Sports Properties 2026 report is that fan attention is shifting clearly towards innovative, fast-paced sports formats, with short-form and accessible properties increasingly outperforming traditional models.  

Three of the five fastest-growing sports properties for online search are innovation-led formats, with FIA World Endurance Championship up +108%, Ultimate Tennis Showdown up +106% and SailGP up +84%. In 2025, SailGP reached 215 million cumulative global viewers, rising from 193 million the previous season. 

This trend highlights that formats that blend short-form competition, familiar talent and brands and simple global distribution models – including a digital-first approach targeting younger fans through clippable social content and streaming deals – are achieving a greater share of audience and fan engagement. 

The rise of combat sports 

Combat sports are regaining cultural momentum as always-on, event-led properties – with ONE Championship jumping 17 places to fifth in global search interest following its Amazon Prime Video deal, while UFC rose 21 places to 18^th and ranked sixth overall in 2025, signalling accelerating momentum and sustained mass demand.  

In combat sports, scale is now driven less by individual fight cards and more by streaming distribution and cultural reach. Organisations that secure global platforms, expand internationally and plug into mainstream narratives are pulling decisively ahead. 

Jess Reus, our Head of Communications & Women’s Sport Lead, explains: 

The latest SportOnSocial findings show that women’s sport – led by the WNBA – continues its growth momentum with enhanced structures, audience accessibility and sustained fan relevance. A 140% increase in global search interest following the WNBA’s number one position last year, alongside record attendance and rising broadcast audiences, reinforces that demand is now durable, rather than dependent on individual star moments.

Audiences are also increasingly gravitating towards formats that are fast-paced, short-form and digitally native, while combat sports demonstrate how always-on narratives and global streaming distribution can rapidly scale cultural relevance. 

Properties that continue to embrace innovation, distribution connecting into culture will not only grow audiences, but further develop brand appeal and commercial value.