The Caitlin Clark Effect: Indiana Fever to Get More National TV Games Than Any NBA Team

The rise of Caitlin Clark in professional basketball is reshaping television broadcasting in a way never seen before. The networks have spoken, and their message is clear: They want more Caitlin Clark games on national TV than they do from any NBA superstar.

Clark’s impact is so significant that her team, the Indiana Fever, will have an astounding 41 of their 44 regular season games broadcast nationally this season. That’s a level of exposure that not even LeBron James or Luka Dončić can match. The Los Angeles Lakers, led by James, top the NBA in national TV appearances with 39, but even they fall short of Clark’s Fever.

Here’s a look at the most nationally televised teams across both leagues:

• Indiana Fever – 41 games

• Los Angeles Lakers – 39 games

• Golden State Warriors – 36 games

• Boston Celtics / New York Knicks – 34 games

• Dallas Mavericks – 30 games

A Mind-Boggling Percentage

Beyond the sheer number of games, the percentage of Indiana Fever games that will be nationally televised compared to their total schedule is staggering. Clark’s team will have 93.1% of its games aired nationwide, a number that completely dwarfs the NBA’s most-watched franchises.

For context, here’s how the Lakers compare:

• Indiana Fever: 93.1% of games on national TV

• Los Angeles Lakers: 46.3% of games on national TV

That’s a nearly double advantage for Clark and the Fever, proving that her drawing power is something the networks simply cannot ignore.

The Caitlin Clark Era: A Year-by-Year Transformation

Even more striking is how much the Indiana Fever’s national exposure has skyrocketed in just a few years, entirely due to Clark’s arrival:

• 2025 season (Clark’s rookie year): 41 of 44 games televised (93.1%)

• 2024 season: 36 of 40 games televised (90%)

• 2023 season: 22 of 40 games televised (55%)

Before Clark, the Fever were a team that networks largely overlooked. In 2023, just 55% of their games were shown nationally. That number jumped to 90% in 2024, the season leading up to Clark’s arrival. Now, with Clark officially in the league, that number has climbed even higher, reaching an unprecedented 93.1%.

The Power of the Caitlin Clark Effect

The fever surrounding Clark’s debut season is unlike anything the WNBA has ever seen. Her presence has already driven record-breaking ratings at the college level, and now she’s bringing that momentum into the professional ranks.

This phenomenon, now being referred to as the “Caitlin Clark Effect,” goes beyond television ratings. It’s reshaping the business of basketball, drawing in casual fans, increasing ticket sales, and elevating the profile of women’s basketball as a whole.

With Clark on the court, the Indiana Fever have gone from a low-profile franchise to the most nationally visible team in all of professional basketball—men’s or women’s.

And if the networks are this all-in on Clark now, it’s only a matter of time before she becomes the single most watched player in the sport.