The Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) announced an 11-year agreement with USA Network that will begin with the 2026 season.
The league, along with VERSANT, will have its basketball games broadcast on the network, including at least 50 games during the regular season and portions of the playoffs and WNBA Finals in select years.
“Partnering with VERSANT and USA Network marks another significant milestone for the WNBA’s continued growth,” said WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert in a written statement. “As demand for women’s basketball continues to rise, partnerships like this expand the visibility and accessibility of our game. By establishing a weekly primetime destination for fans, this agreement will showcase the excitement of the WNBA to more households than ever before and further elevate the incredible athletes in this league.”
The league will primarily feature WNBA Wednesday night doubleheaders as part of the deal. Each game being broadcast on USA Network will include pre-game and post-game programming, including commentary from studio analysts.
“We’re incredibly proud to expand our multi-year partnership with the WNBA,” said Matt Hong, President of Sports, VERSANT. “USA Network will be a destination for WNBA viewers all season long, as we showcase the star power across the league in our marquee Wednesday night doubleheaders and build toward the intensity of the WNBA Playoffs and WNBA Finals.”
More details about analysts, programming, and scheduling will be forthcoming.
The news comes as the teams for this year’s WNBA Finals were set, with the returning champions from last year, the Las Vegas Aces, will be defending their title against the Phoenix Mercury. The first game will be played at the Aces’ home arena, the Michelob ULTRA Arena, with a starting time of 8 p.m. ET. The Aces had a 4-1 record versus the Mercury, with Las Vegas winning the last three contests between the teams.
The games are being televised on ESPN and ABC.
- Game 1: Aces at Mercury on October 3, 8 p.m. ET on ESPN.
- Game 2: Aces at Mercury on October 5, 3 p.m. ET on ABC.
- Game 3: Mercury at Aces on October 8, 8 p.m. ET on ESPN.
- Game 4: Aces at Mercury on October 10, 8 p.m. ET on ESPN.
- Game 5: Aces at Mercury on October 12, 3 p.m. ET on ABC (if necessary).
- Game 6: Aces at Mercury on October 15, 8 p.m. ET on ESPN (if necessary).
- Game 7: Mercury at Aces on October 17, 8 p.m. ET on ESPN (if necessary).
RELATED CONTENT: Unrivaled League’s Valuation Is At $340M After Successful Seed Funding
