Like their counterparts in the NBA, the WNBA has signed a long-term media rights deal with Disney, NBCUniversal and Amazon — with a big increase in the value of the contract.
The 11-year deal, which will begin with the WNBA’s 2026 season, will consolidate the bulk of the league’s rights with those three companies, down from five (Disney, Amazon, CBS, Scripps’ Ion network and NBA TV) in the current deal. The agreement is reportedly worth about $200 million per season, or $2.2 billion for the full term — more than three times the current, $60 million per season deal that ends in 2025. (Additional partners may come on board before the new deal kicks in, the WNBA says.)
The new deal also comes as the WNBA is enjoying a surge in popularity on TV, with a record-breaking 16 games this season topping 1 million viewers, according to Nielsen figures. The previous high was 15 — including the playoffs — back in 1998.
“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.”
The WNBA deal was announced Wednesday in conjunction with the official unveiling of a $76 billion rights deal for the NBA, also with Disney, NBCU and Amazon. The men’s league rejected a proposal from current rights holder Warner Bros. Discovery, which will mean an end to TNT’s long-running NBA coverage after the 2024-25 season.
The big increases in rights fees for both leagues are part of a larger sports-TV arms race as media giants look both to build inventory for their current and future streaming platforms and bring reliable audiences via live events to their linear networks.
Under the new deal, Disney platforms (primarily ESPN and ABC) will air at least 25 regular-season WNBA games, NBCU will air at least 50 across its platforms (with streamer Peacock likely to be a key component), and Amazon will take at least 30 games on its Prime Video streamer. Disney and NBCU will also distribute games in several international markets, and Prime Video’s games will also be available to the platform’s global subscribers.
Disney will get the lion’s share of playoff contests, airing two first-round series each year along with eight semifinals and five finals over the course of the deal. NBCU and Prime Video will each get one first-round series annually and seven semifinals and three finals apiece.
Disney will retain rights to the league’s All-Star weekend — which just set an all-time ratings record — and the WNBA draft. Prime Video will continue to stream the final game of the in-season Commissioner’s Cup tournament and will offer WNBA League Pass, a subscription service for all games, via its Prime Video Channels store.
The new deal will bring the WNBA back to NBC for the first time since 2002, when the network ended its relationship with both the NBA and WNBA. “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 NBCU parent Comcast. “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.”
Said ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro, “We’re proud of our highly productive and collaborative partnership with the WNBA since the league’s inception in 1997. 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.”
Jay Marine, global head of sports for Prime Video, said, “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. 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.”