A blog banner discussing the upcoming new WNBA television deals with the Walt Disney Company, NBC Universal & Amazon Prime Video, beginning in 2026. (Tamir Moore/Canva)
Tuesday, December 17, 2024
Highlights:
- The Walt Disney Company (ABC/ESPN/ESPN2, etc.), NBCUniversal (NBC, USA Network, Peacock) & Amazon Prime Video to carry more than 125 WNBA games each year beginning with the 2026 season.
- WNBA Finals to rotate between The Walt Disney Company, NBCUniversal & Amazon Prime Video.
Earlier this year, the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) disclosed the fact that they are re-upping with the Walt Disney Company and Amazon Prime Video, alongside a new media rights deal with NBCUniversal. Starting with the 2026 season and running through the 2036 season, Disney will transmit WNBA contests on ABC, ESPN or ESPN2 and stream them on ESPN's forthcoming direct-to-consumer (DTC) service. NBCUniversal will air their WNBA games on NBC, USA Network and/or Peacock. Amazon will stream games on Amazon Prime Video.
With the new WNBA media rights now accounted for, the three media partners will dispense more than 125 regular-season and playoff games nationally each year, including a minimum of 25 regular season contests on a Disney platform of some kind, 50 regular season games across NBCUniversal platforms and 30 regular season matchups on Prime Video.
Additionally, this newly created WNBA media landscape will give fans an inside look throughout the course of the WNBA Playoffs and Finals. Disney will have two first-round series each season while NBCUniversal and Amazon Prime Video will get one first-round series each season. The Semifinals and Finals will rotate over the course of the 11-year pact, with Disney getting eight Semifinals series and five Finals, and Prime Video and NBCUniversal each transmitting seven Semifinals series and three Finals.
As part of the new media television deals, Disney platforms will continue to possess the events of WNBA All-Star, including the All-Star Game, and the WNBA Draft, while Prime Video will continue to stream the Championship Game of the WNBA Commissioner's Cup presented by Coinbase.
The following are quotes from several key people involved in putting this new WNBA media rights deal together and ultimately to the finish line (this starts in Summer 2026, with ESPN remaining the primary [and main] partner until then).
WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert:
“Partnering with Disney, Amazon and NBCU marks a monumental chapter in WNBA history and clearly demonstrates the significant rise in value and the historic level of interest in women’s basketball,” said WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert. “These agreements allow the league to continue to build a long-term and sustainable growth model for the future of women’s basketball and sports which will benefit WNBA players, teams and fans.”
ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro:
“We’re proud of our highly productive and collaborative partnership with the WNBA since the league’s inception in 1997,” said ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro. “Through our marquee collection of rights, which includes the WNBA Finals, we will continue to play an important role in the league’s extraordinary growth trajectory while fueling ESPN’s digital future and super-serving fans as only we can.”
Comcast Corporation President Mike Cavanagh:
“As the home of the first-ever nationally televised WNBA game, we are excited to have the league return to NBCUniversal’s platforms,” said Mike Cavanagh, President of Comcast Corporation. “We look forward to showcasing the talented players and teams that continue to grow the popularity of the WNBA, while further bolstering NBCU’s lineup of premium women’s sports.”
Prime Video Global Head of Sports Jay Marine:
“We’ve been partners with and believers in the WNBA over the last four seasons, and could not be more excited to expand our relationship so significantly with this landmark agreement,” said Jay Marine, Global Head of Sports for Prime Video. “The league’s recent surge in popularity is of no surprise to us, as these incredible athletes continue to raise the bar and electrify fans. We’re looking forward to providing Prime members around the world with increased access to the W’s biggest events as more and more fans gravitate toward the sport.”
The recently developed new media rights deals come at a very important time in the WNBA's history. The 2024 season marked the most consequential season in the WNBA's nearly 30-year history up to this point. This season the league brought in most of the highly anticipated rookies in recent memory such as Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, among others. Plus, the WNBA is expanding to new markets over the next few years, with the Golden State Valkyries beginning play in 2025 and the Toronto Tempo and yet to be named expansion team in Portland starting in 2026.
|| Sources 🛈: NBA Communications (press release)
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