WNBA Inks TV Deal With Disney, Amazon, NBCUniversal

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.)

“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.

Under the new deal, Disney platforms (primarily ESPN and ABC) will air at least 25 regular-season 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.