The WNBA will expand its coverage on USA Network, which will notably feature portions of the championship series.
The characters of the WNBA are officially welcome in an expanded role on USA Network.
The league and USA’s parent company, Versant, announced the parameters of their partnership on Tuesday in the form of an 11-year broadcasting rights deal that will tip off next season. The announcement comes shortly before USA moves to the umbrella of Versant, a spin-off company consisting of NBCUniversal’s cable networks (a grouping that also includes CNBC, E!, Golf Channel, MSNBC, Oxygen, and Syfy).
“As demand for women’s basketball continues to rise, partnerships like this expand the visibility and accessibility of our game,” WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert said in a statement. “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.”
Under the new deal, USA will televise at least 50 games per season in the new media deal that runs through 2036. The package includes Wednesday night doubleheaders and coverage of the WNBA Playoffs and Finals. Dedicated pregame and postgame shows will likewise be included, part of making USA a premier weekday destination for the league’s expanding fanbase.
“We’re incredibly proud to expand our multi-year partnership with the WNBA,” Versant president of sports Matt Hong said in a statement. “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.”
The deal with Versant is an expansion of what is WNBA’s new partnership with the networks of NBC Sports, which returns to the league’s affairs after broadcasting its first six seasons (1997-2002). Even-numbered championship series will air on NBC and USA beginning next year while ABC and ESPN will continue to have the odds, including the opener of Friday’s championship set featuring the Phoenix Mercury.
Versant Announces Media Rights Agreement to Broadcast WNBA Games pic.twitter.com/EuLhTnflnh
— WNBA Communications (@WNBAComms) September 30, 2025
USA has expanded its sports coverage since NBC Sports Network shut down at the end of 2021. The WNBA joins a lineup that also features college basketball, golf, the NASCAR Cup Series, the Premier League, and both editions of the Olympic Games. A full list of talent will be revealed at a later date, though Michael Grady and Maria Taylor are expected to take on the lead play-by-play and studio host duties respectively.
Geoff Magliocchetti is on X @GeoffJMags
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