Unrivaled Shatters Records with Over 21,000 Attendees, Silencing Critics

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 inaugural 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, which also hosts the Philadelphia 76ers and Flyers, along with numerous concerts.

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Rickea Jackson of the Breeze controls the ball against the Phantom during the first half of the Unrivaled 2026 game at Xfinity Mobile Arena on Jan. 30, 2026, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Hunt Martin/Getty Images / Getty Images)

The previous 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. However, David Levy, an early investor in the league and former president of TNT Sports, believes the numbers are misleading and that success is 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. NFL, college, Monday nights, championship game—do 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 say, ‘The league is dead.’ No, it’s shocking to me.”

Paige Bueckers of the Breeze controls the ball against the Phantom during the first half of the Unrivaled 2026 game at Xfinity Mobile Arena on Jan. 30, 2026, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Hunter Martin/Getty Images / Getty Images)

BRITTNEY GRINER COMPARES RUSSIAN PRISON EXPERIENCE TO CURRENT ICE ENFORCEMENT IN UNITED STATES

League sources informed FOX Business that Unrivaled is on track to surpass $40 million in league revenue this season, marking an increase of over 48 percent from last season’s $27 million. Even during the low-ratings weekend, Levy noted that social engagement was significantly up. Merchandise sales have also surged by 54% from September through the end of the opening weekend this season compared to the same period last year.

“I’m about the facts. The facts are, every single other metric is up,” Levy stated.

Levy expressed confidence in the league’s potential when he recognized the high quality of play. “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,” he said.

Although stars like Clark and A’ja Wilson have yet to join the league, Levy remains optimistic. “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,” he remarked.

Cameron Brink of the Breeze controls the ball against the Phantom during the second half of the Unrivaled 2026 game at Xfinity Mobile Arena on Jan. 30, 2026, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Hunter Martin/Getty Images / Getty Images)

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“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.”

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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 inaugural 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, which also hosts the Philadelphia 76ers and Flyers, along with numerous concerts.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXBUSINESS.COM

Rickea Jackson of the Breeze controls the ball against the Phantom during the first half of the Unrivaled 2026 game at Xfinity Mobile Arena on Jan. 30, 2026, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Hunt Martin/Getty Images / Getty Images)

The previous 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. However, David Levy, an early investor in the league and former president of TNT Sports, believes the numbers are misleading and that success is 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. NFL, college, Monday nights, championship game—do 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 say, ‘The league is dead.’ No, it’s shocking to me.”

Paige Bueckers of the Breeze controls the ball against the Phantom during the first half of the Unrivaled 2026 game at Xfinity Mobile Arena on Jan. 30, 2026, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Hunter Martin/Getty Images / Getty Images)

BRITTNEY GRINER COMPARES RUSSIAN PRISON EXPERIENCE TO CURRENT ICE ENFORCEMENT IN UNITED STATES

League sources informed FOX Business that Unrivaled is on track to surpass $40 million in league revenue this season, marking an increase of over 48 percent from last season’s $27 million. Even during the low-ratings weekend, Levy noted that social engagement was significantly up. Merchandise sales have also surged by 54% from September through the end of the opening weekend this season compared to the same period last year.

“I’m about the facts. The facts are, every single other metric is up,” Levy stated.

Levy expressed confidence in the league’s potential when he recognized the high quality of play. “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,” he said.

Although stars like Clark and A’ja Wilson have yet to join the league, Levy remains optimistic. “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,” he remarked.

Cameron Brink of the Breeze controls the ball against the Phantom during the second half of the Unrivaled 2026 game at Xfinity Mobile Arena on Jan. 30, 2026, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Hunter Martin/Getty Images / Getty Images)

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“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.