The WNBA has significantly increased its record-setting media deal.
The WNBA’s 11-year deal is worth $3.1 billion with partners Disney (ABC/ESPN), NBCUniversal (NBC/Peacock), Amazon (Prime Video), Paramount (CBS), Scripps (Ion), USA Sports (USA Network), and NBA TV, a source familiar with the league’s deals confirmed to Front Office Sports.
The average annual value of the new media deal is $281 million, about 6.5 times more than the previous deal’s AAV of $43 million. The WNBA added CBS, Scripps, and Amazon as partners over the last few years, bringing its total media revenue to around $60 million last year.
In July 2024, the WNBA secured a $2.2 billion media deal over 11 years with Disney, NBCUniversal, and Amazon, a portion of the NBA’s broader $77 billion deal. The WNBA has since added USA Sports and renewed deals with Scripps and Paramount to get to $3.1 billion.
The deals come with “re-set” provisions after the third season (2028). If triggered, the sides can renegotiate the terms of the deal, including length and cost, but it’s unclear whether the provision can be triggered by the league, its partners, or both.
The source said there is also revenue-sharing included in the deals that could push the number above $281 million annually. The league will receive a portion of advertising and sponsorship revenue from any partner that “recoups its financial investment.”
Under the new media deals, the WNBA secured a record 216 national games for the 2026 season, which started Friday. Ion holds the most number of games (50), followed by USA Network (48).
The WNBA playoffs will be split among ABC/ESPN, USA, NBC/Peacock, and Prime Video. The breakdown is as follows:
- First round: ABC/ESPN (two series), USA Network and Prime Video (one series each)
- Semifinals: NBC/Peacock (one series), ESPN/ABC (one series)
- Finals: NBC (Games 1 and 4), USA (Games 2, 3, 5–7), and Peacock (all games)
This year will be the first time since 2000—the WNBA’s fourth season—that a Disney network will not air the WNBA Finals.
The large number of partners across free TV, cable, and streaming has created a potential fragmentation issue plaguing all of sports. On Friday, commissioner Cathy Engelbert was asked about the issue.
“The WNBA is not unique in this battle, right? It’s the free market that the U.S. has in the media market because there’s a lot of participants,” Engelbert told Sports Business Journal.
Engelbert added she feels there will be “consolidation over time” among media companies.
