WNBA Secures Landmark Media-Rights Deal With Disney, Amazon Prime Video, and NBCUniversal
24/07/2024
Wednesday, July 24, 2024 - 5:19 pm
Print This Story | Subscribe
Story Highlights
The Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) today announced the renewal of its partnerships with The Walt Disney Company and Amazon Prime Video, as well as a new agreement with NBCUniversal (NBCU). Beginning with the 2026 season and running through the 2036 season, Disney will distribute WNBA games on ABC, ESPN or ESPN2 and stream them on ESPN's forthcoming direct-to-consumer service; NBCU will distribute its games on NBC, USA Network and/or Peacock; and Amazon will stream its games globally on Prime Video.
Under the new agreements, the partners will distribute more than 125 regular-season and playoff games nationally each season, including a minimum of 25 regular-season games on Disney platforms, 50 regular-season games on NBCU platforms and 30 regular-season games on Prime Video. Additionally, Disney and NBCU will distribute games in key international markets, and Prime Video will distribute games globally to more than 200 million Prime members worldwide.
The new deals will also provide access for fans throughout the WNBA Playoffs and Finals. Disney will telecast two first-round series per year while NBCU and Prime Video will each telecast one first-round series annually. The Semifinals and Finals series will rotate over the 11-year term, with Disney distributing eight Semifinals series and five Finals, and Prime Video and NBCU each distributing seven Semifinals series and three Finals.
As part of the deals, Disney platforms will continue to telecast all events from WNBA All-Star, including the All-Star Game, and the WNBA Draft, while Prime Video will continue to stream the Championship Game of the WNBA Commissioner's Cup presented by Coinbase. Prime Video Channels will be the global channels store destination for WNBA League Pass, the WNBA's subscription service for streaming live and on-demand games, in the U.S. and internationally.
The WNBA is expected to add additional media partners that will further expand the reach and accessibility of WNBA games as of the 2026 season.
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.
We're proud of our highly productive and collaborative partnership with the WNBA since the league's inception in 1997, says ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro. Through our marquee collection of rights, which includes the WNBA Finals, we will continue to play an important role in the league's extraordinary growth trajectory while fueling ESPN's digital future and super-serving fans as only we can.
As the home of the first-ever nationally televised WNBA game, we are excited to have the league return to NBCUniversal's platforms, says Mike Cavanagh, President of Comcast Corporation. We look forward to showcasing the talented players and teams that continue to grow the popularity of the WNBA, while further bolstering NBCU's lineup of premium women's sports.
We've been partners with and believers in the WNBA over the last four seasons, and could not be more excited to expand our relationship so significantly with this landmark agreement, says Jay Marine, Global Head of Sports for Prime Video. The league's recent surge in popularity is of no surprise to us, as these incredible athletes continue to raise the bar and electrify fans. We're looking forward to providing Prime members around the world with increased access to the W's biggest events as more and more fans gravitate toward the sport.
The new media deals come at a pivotal moment of growth for the WNBA and follow a historic start to the WNBA's 28th season. Over the past several months, the league has added its most anticipated rookie class ever; announced expansion franchises in San Francisco/Bay Area and Toronto; and shattered records for viewership, attendance, merchandise sales, social media engagement, League Pass subscriptions and app downloads.
LINK: | https://www.sportsvideo.org/2024/07/24/wnba-secures-landmark-media-rig... |
See more stories from svg |
Most recent headlines
09/12/2024
Dalet Named an IDC Innovator in Media and Entertainment
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced that it has been named an IDC Innovator in the IDC Innovators: ...
09/11/2024
Dalet Expands Leadership Team to Fuel Next Stage of Growth
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced three new members of its executive team. Tara Bryant joins as Chi...
16/09/2024
The Propulsion Technology is Ready to Power Operational Hypersonic Systems Now
As featured in Aviation Week: Hypersonic technology is no longer some theoretical concept debated in scientific circles. Its real, its here, and it works....
16/09/2024
L3Harris Receives $182 Million Video Data Link IDIQ
SALT LAKE CITY, Sept. 16, 2024 - L3Harris Technologies (NYSE:LHX) has received an Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract worth up to $182 mill...
16/09/2024
2024-09-16
visionOS 2 is available today, bringing new spatial computing experiences to Apple Vision Pro users around the world. Existing photos can now be turned into spa...
16/09/2024
SCTE TechExpo To Offer Hands-On Training Day
ESTON, Pa. Organizers of SCTE TechExpo, at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, Sept. 24-26, have announced Broadband Fiber Installer (BFI) Boot Camp, ...
16/09/2024
New Study Finds Growing Role For Gen AI in M&E Industry
Gen AI is having a big effect on the Media & Entertainment Industry, touching everything from presenting the public with viewing options more closely aligned to...
16/09/2024
EMG Gravity Media Australia provides broadcast technology...
EMG / Gravity Media, the leading force in production and content, media services and facilities, today detailed EMG / Gravity Media Australia's partnership ...
16/09/2024
Miranda Cosgrove Show Mission Unstoppable' Renewed By Hearst Media Production Group
Mission Unstoppable, a show hosted by Miranda Cosgrove and executive produced by...
16/09/2024
Disney, DirecTV Reach Agreement To End Blackout
DirecTV and The Walt Disney Co. said they have come to a carriage agreement in principle, ending a blackout that kept subscribers from watching ESPN and other D...
16/09/2024
Rise Awards 2024 nominations announced
The awards recognise women and companies who are stand-out performers, innovators and leaders in the industry By TVBEurope Staff Published: September 16, 202...
16/09/2024
mtel Banja Luka to Launch New TV Experience
m:tel, the leading telecom provider in Bosnia and Herzegovina and a member of the Telekom Srbija group, partners with 24i and Antecna to elevate the TV experien...
16/09/2024
DPA Expands Lavalier Portfolio at IBC 2024 With Introduct...
DPA Microphones releases its new 2061 Miniature Omnidirectional Microphone, a solution intended for individuals who work with professional-level sound capture o...
16/09/2024
Wisycom Releases New MTH610 Handheld Wireless Microphone...
Wisycom releases its new MTH610 Handheld Wireless Microphone Transmitter, the latest addition to the brand's Symphony line of products, at IBC 2024 (Stand 8...
16/09/2024
Accedo Rolls out Monetization Offering
Global video solutions provider, Accedo has launched a Managed Services Monetization offering designed to help their customers grow and diversify their revenue ...
16/09/2024
Ikegami Announces IPX-100 IP Extension Unit
Ikegami announces a new addition to its wide range of full broadcast quality production equipment. Scheduled to make its world-first appearance on stand 12.A31 ...
16/09/2024
Accedo Reduces Complexity and Risk for OTT Video Provider...
Global video solutions provider, Accedo has announced a new collaboration with Amazon Web Services (AWS), Brightcove, and New Relic to support its dedicated OTT...
16/09/2024
DHD Audio Maintains Focus on Innovation at IBC 2024
DHD audio, a globally active developer of digital solutions for broadcast sound studios, edit suites and OB vehicles, will demonstrate the latest advances in au...
16/09/2024
Revolution in Storage - EditShare Reveals Game-Changing N...
EditShare, a leader in collaborative media workflow solutions, is set to redefine media storage at IBC2024 with the launch of the Ultimate EFS Series, the next-...
16/09/2024
Rightsline Amplifies Rights and Royalties Platform Capabi...
Rightsline, an industry-leading provider of rights and royalties management solutions, today announced its strategic acquisition of RSG Media, a leader in enter...
16/09/2024
Teradek Announces CTRL5 An Expandable Wireless Lens Contr...
Teradek announces the upcoming release of CTRL.5, an extensively-customizable lens control handset with its own operating system: CTRL.OS, a proprietary softwar...
16/09/2024
Designed to Go Anywhere - Introducing Ultra 10 SmallHDs M...
SmallHD announces Ultra 10, the new 10-inch Smart Monitor with optional Bolt 6 integration, up to 2000nits of brightness, touchscreen camera control, Wi-Fi 6 co...
16/09/2024
Broadcast Solutions establishes a Centre of Excellence fo...
Broadcast Solutions, one of Europe's largest media systems integration groups, announced today the establishment of a Centre of Excellence dedicated to nxte...
16/09/2024
CVP Belgium to present Kit Fest
Kit Fest Belgium, the perfect event to get hands-on with the newest kit, will showcase the latest production solutions on the 26th of September CVP, one of Eu...
16/09/2024
Supponor and TGI Sport to Deliver First Ever Virtual Adve...
Groundbreaking Technology Enhances Brand Visibility for HFF Sponsors During Away matches in the UEFA Nations League Supponor, recently acquired by TGI Sport an...
16/09/2024
DirecTV, Disney Agree on Outlines of New Deal That Ends Blackout
BURBANK & EL SEGUNDO, Calif. Over the weekend on Sept. 14, DirecTV and The Walt Disney Company announced that they have reached an agreement in principle for a ...
16/09/2024
TV Tech Announces Best of Show Winners at 2024 IBC Show
TV Tech has announced its Best of Show Awards for the 2024 IBC Show which ends today in Amsterdam. The awards were judged by a panel of industry experts on the ...
16/09/2024
TVBEurope Best of Show IBC2024 winners announced
By Jenny Priestley Published: September 15, 2024 Future's Best of Show at IBC2024 awards have been announced, with exhibitors from across the show floo...
16/09/2024
VSI adopts OOONA Integrated for streamlined localization
OOONA, a leading provider of professional management and production tools for the media localization industry, announced today that its flagship platform, OOONA...
16/09/2024
Philips Sonicare Hooks Up with Thursday Dating App for a...
From garlic breath to red wine-stained teeth, and even that sneaky bit of lunch stuck in between the gaps nothing kills the dating vibe faster than an unkempt s...
16/09/2024
Dalet Named an IDC Innovator in Media and Entertainment
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced that it has been named an IDC Innovator in the IDC Innovators: ...
16/09/2024
Lightware Expands Global Presence with New High-Tech Cent...
Lightware Visual Engineering, a leading manufacturer of connectivity solutions for the professional integrated systems market and a pioneer in signal management...
16/09/2024
Imagine Celebrates Milestone at IBC2024 - 4000th Selenio...
Imagine Communications is marking a milestone at IBC2024 (13-16 September, RAI Amsterdam, stand 1.B73), where the company will celebrate shipping the 4,000th un...
16/09/2024
Imagine Communications Expands Partnership with Google Ad...
Imagine Communications, a leading provider of ad tech solutions for TV broadcast, announces a significant advancement in its partnership with Google Ad Manager....
16/09/2024
LucidLink Illustrates its Integration into Adobe After Ef...
LucidLink, the storage collaboration platform for the world's largest studios, brands, and creative professionals, will be exhibiting at IBC 2024 at the RAI...
16/09/2024
Ross Video Introduces Carbonite Ultra Solo
Ross Video, a global leader in video production technology, announced the launch of Carbonite Ultra Solo, a compact UHD production switcher that is designed to ...
16/09/2024
Ross Video Launches Ultricore Tally
Ross Video, a global leader in video production technology, today announced the launch of Ultricore Tally, a full-featured and versatile tally control and manag...
16/09/2024
HAND welcomes SimplyTV and BB Media to API Program
HAND (Human & Digital) the first global B2B Talent ID registry platform for efficient discoverability, royalty collection, and revenue tracking of notable real ...
16/09/2024
TMT Insights Polaris Platform Transforms BBC Studios Glob...
TMT Insights is partnering with BBC Studios on a multi-year project to help it transform its digital media supply chain. Through a combination of TMT's Pola...
16/09/2024
LOGIC becomes a launch partner for AWS Elemental MediaLiv...
LOGIC's complete package includes hardware, software, PORTAL, and comprehensive service and support. Just ahead of IBC, Amazon Web Services (AWS) unveiled ...
16/09/2024
Chaos New Short Has an Answer for Hollywood VFX Problems
Today, Chaos releases Ray Tracing FTW, a new short film that takes aim at the state of VFX and filmmaking from an artist's point of view. More than an air...
16/09/2024
Trew Audio Acquires Pinknoise Systems - Enhancing Global...
Trew Audio, a prominent leader in professional audio sales and services, is excited to announce the acquisition of Pinknoise Systems, a highly regarded professi...
16/09/2024
iodyne to Showcase Production and Broadcast Workflow Inno...
iodyne, developer of tools for media professionals including Pro Data, the world's fastest Thunderbolt storage device, will showcase an optimized productio...
16/09/2024
N.Y. Gov. Kathy Hochul Touches on Increasing TV, Film Production Credits in Paley Center Interview
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul spoke at the Paley Center for Media in Manhattan Sept...
16/09/2024
Filming on Alejandro Sanz's Docuseries Has Started
Back to All News Filming on Alejandro Sanz's Docuseries Has Started Entertainment 16 September 2024 GlobalSpain Link copied to clipboard This is how A...
16/09/2024
'Finding Ola' Is Officially Returning for a Second Season of New Adventures, Self-Love, and a Hint of Romance
Back to All News Finding Ola Is Officially Returning for a Second Season of New...
16/09/2024
Harmonic Charts the Future of Broadband at SCTE TechExpo24
SAN JOSE, Calif. - Sept. 16, 2024 - Harmonic (NASDAQ: HLIT) today announced that the company will demonstrate its intelligent ecosystem for fiber and DOCSIS net...
16/09/2024
Arvato Systems and advanco Launch Comprehensive Partnership
Arvato Systems and advanco Launch Comprehensive Partnership Arvato Systems and advanco Combine Serialization Solutions Arvato CSDB and ARC G tersloh - Arvato...
16/09/2024
International ID Day: Thales stands up for a legal and trusted identity for everyone.
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn On the International Identity Day ID Day', ...
14/09/2024
Showcases, Subway Cars, and a Speakeasy: Inside the Spotify x Samsung Galaxy Fresh Finds Event in NYC
At Spotify, our live experiences are curated cultural moments that get people ta...