TV ratings can be deceiving, and Sue Bird knows it. While the Unrivaled viewership numbers might not be eye-catching at first, the basketball legend and investor isn’t worried. Despite the underwhelming TV numbers, Bird believes the bigger picture lies in social media. As both an investor and a legend of the game, she sees it as the space where the future of the sport is unfolding.

According to a recent episode of ‘A Touch More’, Bird and co-host Megan Rapinoe discussed Unrivaled launch and its opening night viewership. “Any takeaways, Sue?” Rapinoe asked. “What are your thoughts? They had a great opening night.” Bird responded without hesitation. “I think Unrivaled by every metric has been super successful. They peaked at 364,000. They averaged 313,000 viewers.”

But for Bird, those figures weren’t the real story. “I think the real story, and it’s something we’re seeing in all sports right now, is in social media impressions. They had 31 million views on their Bleacher Report Women’s Sports TikTok alone.” That, she emphasized, is where attention should be focused. “Like I said, it’s something we’re seeing in sports all over the place.”

Bird’s stance comes as Unrivaled battles a tough media landscape. The league, which features some of the WNBA’s biggest stars (minus Caitlin Clark), saw a decline in viewership after its debut weekend.

The opening night peaked at 364,000 viewers across TNT and truTV but dropped to 281,000 the following Friday. As the second week progressed, viewership continued to decline, with some broadcasts falling below 100,000 viewers. Friday night’s games averaged 281,000 viewers (a 10% decrease from Week 1), Saturday’s games dropped to 98,000 (down 2%), and Monday’s games saw a further dip to 166,000 (down 10%).

Beyond TV screens: Why Sue Bird says Unrivaled’s real win isn’t in the ratings

In contrast, Clark’s presence in the WNBA last season led to record-breaking numbers. Regular season games featuring the Indiana Fever rookie averaged 1.19 million viewers on ESPN. Without her, WNBA games on cable averaged around 210,000 viewers—still ahead of Unrivaled, but not by as much as some might expect.

According to Sports Media Watch, Unrivaled has averaged 194,000 viewers across TNT and truTV through two weeks—more than 50% lower than the average WNBA game without Clark.

Yet, Unrivaled never set out to compete with the WNBA’s numbers. League president Alex Bazzell acknowledged as much before the launch. “We don’t expect to go get the same numbers the WNBA does. We’re just trying to deliver a great product, which I know we can do.”

For Bird, one of the key investors in the league, success however isn’t measured solely by traditional ratings. The 31 million TikTok views Unrivaled racked up in its first week prove something bigger—engagement is happening, just not always in the way TV executives used to measure it. Social media is the new front row seat, and if millions are watching highlights, reacting, and sharing content, that’s impact.

The question now isn’t just about how many people are tuning in, but where and how they’re engaging. Bird, who has seen women’s basketball evolve from overlooked to mainstream, knows that change doesn’t happen overnight. The WNBA itself fought for decades to gain traction, and Unrivaled is still in its infancy.

So while critics may focus on the 313,000-viewer average, Bird is looking elsewhere—where millions are watching, sharing, and keeping the game alive in ways that go beyond a TV screen. And in her eyes, there’s no debate about that.