Disney networks have had exclusive rights to the WNBA postseason since 2016 and have aired every WNBA Finals since 2003, but that exclusivity will go away under the new rights package announced Wednesday.
ESPN will still air five of the 11 Finals series included in the package as well as semifinals series in eight of 11 years plus more early-round games as well as the WNBA Draft and All-Star game. But the move will increase the visibility of the WNBA and also allow the league to make schedule and formatting decisions independent of ESPN.
Amazon Prime Video will air one first-round series each year, a semifinal series in seven of 11 seasons, and three WNBA Finals. Lastly, NBC will get three WNBA Finals including the first year of the deal in 2026 as well as WNBA semifinals in seven seasons.
It will be a risk for the league, which is growing thanks to a celebrity rookie class led by Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese as well as super teams in Las Vegas and New York, to move some of its marquee games to streaming on Prime Video and Peacock. But at the same time, the WNBA is finally free of ESPN’s control over its postseason schedule.
The WNBA collective bargaining agreement grants the league permission to expand the playoff schedule. However, league sources for years have indicated that ESPN exerted influence over that option by restricting broadcast windows. The WNBA playoffs take place in the early fall after college and pro football have ramped up and baseball’s postseason is in full swing. As a result, WNBA executives worried those other sports would have an advantage over them in terms of being on ABC or ESPN (as opposed to ESPN2 or worse) as well as time slots like primetime or weekends.
Starting in 2026 with this new package, the WNBA can negotiate an expansion of its postseason without fear of Disney taking the wind out of its sails. Commissioner Cathy Engelbert already indicated at her press conference at All-Star weekend in Phoenix that the league will explore a 44-game season in 2025, the maximum allowed under the CBA. With less fear about its postseason exposure, the league could also expand its playoffs again for the first time since 2022.
Asked about this possibility recently , ESPN content Burke Magnus said more partners for the Finals would be “a good thing for the ultimate continued growth and development and interest in the league.”
The WNBA currently plays a three-game first-round series before a five-game series in the semifinals and Finals. Before 2022, the league gave byes to more playoff teams and played single-elimination games in the first and second rounds. The maximum number of WNBA playoff games before 2022 was just 19. This year, it will be 27.
For a young league still worried about overall growth, the WNBA will take advantage of all avenues for growth. This one may seem small, but every game and every new broadcast is an opportunity to bring in new fans.
The post ESPN losing exclusive rights to WNBA postseason in new broadcast package appeared first on Awful Announcing .
Local News
