The new WNBA TV deal worth $2.2bn through 2036
August 27, 2024

The Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) has had a record-breaking year in 2024, thanks to Indiana Fever’s addition of rookie Caitlin Clarke. The hype around this young superstar has created rivalries that raised the intensity and competition of games, which has attracted more viewership from sports fans across the US and resulted in a new WNBA TV deal.
Because of this newfound interest in women’s basketball, the WNBA is also experiencing unparalleled economic growth. Most notably, the league has signed several new partnerships that can help the WNBA build on its momentum.
The league’s recent WNBA TV deal with The Walt Disney Company, Amazon, and NBCU, valued at $2.2 billion, signals a significant rise in women’s basketball’s popularity. These agreements will distribute over 125 WNBA games annually across various platforms, including ABC, ESPN, ION Television, NBC, USA Network, and Prime Video. The WNBA TV deal includes extensive coverage of regular-season, playoff games, and WNBA Finals, which will rotate among the three networks. These decade-long partnerships are set to commence in 2026 and run through 2036.
This news reflects a growing trend in the sports industry, where women’s sports are gaining more recognition and investments. Interest from these high-profile media giants underscores the WNBA’s increasing commercial value. It enhances its global reach, potentially attracting new fans from diverse demographics and revenue, a huge step for women’s sports.
In addition to securing media coverage deals, the WNBA also partners with leading online sportsbooks to improve fan engagement and increase its reach. Last month, DraftKings signed an agreement with the WNBA to become the official daily fantasy sports (DFS) and sports betting partner alongside FanDuel, who inked a deal in 2022.
The strategic move by DraftKings to partner with WNBA is anticipated to be highly profitable, considering the increased popularity of women’s basketball. FanDuel has reportedly seen a massive increase in WNBA bets since 2022. DraftKings can expect similar growth to that of the WNBA’s second official betting partner. DraftKings gains rights to the league and team intellectual properties and access to marketing and fan engagement opportunities as part of the deal. From a sports betting standpoint, DraftKings will benefit from access to WNBA data feeds and heightened streaming media exposure across the league’s channels. Integrating WNBA data feeds into DraftKings’ platforms is a significant advantage from a sports betting perspective. The company can leverage the data to create betting types other sportsbooks can’t make from scratch, such as player proposition bets.
DraftKings and FanDuel don’t stop with sportsbook odds. Both of these brands are media companies in their own rights, with in-house TV channels and massive social media platforms that allow them to feature WNBA highlights and other types of new media relating to women’s basketball and betting.
These WNBA TV deals’ economic impact extends beyond the league’s immediate financial benefits. The WNBA sets a new global benchmark for women’s sports leagues by securing high-value partnerships. The league’s ability to secure high-profile partnerships demonstrates its growing influence and potential for further expansion. These partnerships benefit the league, the broadcasters, and the betting companies as they tap into a growing and increasingly engaged fanbase.
WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert expressed her enthusiasm when discussing the media partnerships, “Partnering with Disney, Amazon, and NBCU marks a monumental chapter in WNBA history and demonstrates the significant rise in value and the historic level of interest in women’s basketball. 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’s strategic alliances with media and sports betting companies suggest a future where women’s sports enjoy parity with men’s sports regarding visibility, investment, and fan engagement. This shift benefits the leagues and their players and contributes to a more inclusive and diverse sports industry. Nothing proves the disparities more than the outrage following the publication of Caitlin Clarke’s 4-year contract, worth $338,000, while the 4-year contract of the number one draft pick in the NBA in 2023 was worth $55 million. The comparison might not be fair, but it does show that the WNBA has a long way to go compared to men’s professional basketball. However, recent developments show that the WNBA is on the right track and will likely grow and attract new fans and more money.
In terms of breaking records, Indiana Fever hosted Seattle Storm at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse on August 18th. Fever won 92 – 75, with Clark recording nine assists. In total, she has 232, and with her performance against Storm, she passed the former Iowa Hawkeye Ticha Penicheiro’s previous rookie record of 224 set in 1998.