WNBA Expands Media Rights Deal to $3.1 Billion Over 11 Years

The WNBA has expanded its media rights deal to more than $3 billion less than two years after signing a record $2.2 billion agreement with Disney, NBCUniversal and Amazon.

Front Office Sports reports the league's 11-year media deal portfolio now totals approximately $3.1 billion. That figure includes new rights with USA Network and renewals with Paramount (CBS) and Scripps (Ion).

The arrangement delivers an average annual value of roughly $281 million. That marks a sharp increase from the prior deal's average of about $43 million.

League commissioner Cathy Engelbert noted the growth from scant national exposure when she started. "Remember when I joined the league, we had 15 games on national platforms, mostly on ESPN2 and ESPNU," she said. "This year we'll have 216 out of 330 regular-season games on national platforms. That's over 65% broadcast nationally."

The expansion spreads games across Disney/ABC/ESPN, NBC/Peacock, CBS, Ion, Prime Video, USA Network and NBA TV. Fans must switch between streaming services to follow teams.

Engelbert addressed viewer complaints in a Sports Business Journal interview. She said tracking subscriptions has grown expensive and confusing, even for her. "I'm not running one of those media companies, so I can't fix the cost thing," she said. "The WNBA is not unique in this battle. It's the free market that the U.S. has in the media market because there's a lot of participants."

She added: "I think I paid for 18 subscriptions, and I still haven't cut the cable cord."

League officials see the added partners as a clear gain in revenue and exposure. "I don't disagree with the cost point," Engelbert said. "We're outpacing the NHL and MLB on visibility as far as percentages. That was important. I think it's important to the players that they be shown and their stories be told."

The package contains re-set provisions after the 2028 season. Those allow the WNBA to renegotiate if popularity keeps rising.