The WNBA has made huge strides in recent years. With demand for the sport growing the supply of easy access has become a key topic of conversation.
In March, ESPN announced that it will be highlighting the 27th annual season with 25 national broadcasts of regular season games across its family of networks, as well as the playoffs. The deal ends in 2025.
On April 20, the WNBA inked yet another multiyear television deal, this one with Ion. The network plans to televise Friday night regular season games.
The Athletic reported that, while terms and details were not disclosed, the contract is in direct line with their current TV rights deal through ESPN and will also end in 2025. WNBA Commissioner Cathy Englebert declined to reveal the value, but said it’s “a significant rights fee.”
Here’s what you need to know about the deal, as well as what this means for the league and the benefits it’ll bring.
WNBA’s new TV deal, explained
The plan between the WNBA and Ion to televise Friday night regular season games equates to 44 games over 15 weeks, starting after opening weekend, between May 26 to Sept. 8.
Ion, which was bought by E.W. Scripps in 2020, is still new…
