🏀 WNBA · 2026 season · $3.1B / 11-yr NEW DEAL

WNBA just got a $3.1 billion media deal. Here's where every game lives in 2026.

The WNBA's new 11-year, $3.1 billion media-rights agreement starts in 2026 — a 6.5× increase in annual value over the previous deal. Disney/ESPN/ABC + NBC/Peacock + Amazon Prime + CBS/Paramount+ + Scripps + USA Network all carry games. 216 national games per season. Here's the cheapest stack.

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$29.99/mo — primary home for WNBA in 2026. Plus Amazon Prime games + ION Saturday triple-headers.

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Where every WNBA game lives in 2026

Game type	Network	Free OTA?	Streaming
WNBA Finals	ABC + ESPN	ABC = YES	ESPN streamer + Disney bundle
Semifinals	ESPN + ABC + Amazon	partial	Prime + ESPN streamer
First Round Playoffs	ESPN + ABC + ION + NBC	partial (ION + ABC + NBC)	Mix
National regular-season games	ESPN, ABC, NBC, Amazon Prime, CBS, Scripps networks	some ABC + NBC + CBS	Disney+/ESPN, Peacock, Prime, Paramount+
Local team games	Local broadcast + sometimes Bally/FanDuel	partial OTA	Some teams have direct apps
Commissioner's Cup	Amazon Prime Video	NO	Prime required

The new partners + what each carries (2026)

Disney / ESPN / ABC — Top package + WNBA Finals. ABC simulcasts are free OTA. ESPN/ESPN2 cable required for most non-Finals games.
NBC / Peacock — 48 games on USA Network + NBC primetime + some Peacock-exclusive games.
Amazon Prime Video — 30 games incl. all Commissioner's Cup games + select playoff.
CBS / Paramount+ — 20 games on CBS and Paramount+.
Scripps Networks (ION, etc.) — Free OTA package, ~50 games per season.

Cheapest stacks by fan type

"Just the playoffs + Finals": Antenna for ABC + ION + NBC = $0/mo. That's it. About half the playoffs are free OTA.

"Every nationally-televised game": Antenna + Peacock ($10.99) + Prime ($14.99) + ESPN Select via Hulu/Disney ($11.99) ≈ $37-38/mo seasonal.

"Specific team + national": Above stack + your team's RSN/DTC app (~$15-30/mo if available). About $50-65/mo seasonal.

"All in": YouTube TV ($82.99) covers most cable channels + Peacock + Prime + Paramount+ for full coverage = ~$120/mo. Most fans don't need this.

What's new for the 2026 season

WNBA expansion: Toronto Tempo (13th team) joins for the 2026 season. Portland Fire and others coming 2028+.
Caitlin Clark effect: ratings up 300% on multiple networks since 2024. Why the new deal is 6.5× bigger.
ION on antenna: Scripps's free OTA channel carries ~50 games — biggest free WNBA path in 2026.
Disney+/Hulu app merger: ESPN content increasingly behind the unified Disney+ app. Bundle pricing better than buying ESPN alone.

RSN reality (it's better than NBA)

Unlike the NBA, most WNBA teams aren't locked into expensive RSN deals. Many teams broadcast locally on free OTA channels:

Indiana Fever (Caitlin Clark): WTHR + FanDuel Sports Indiana
New York Liberty: MSG + YES Network
Las Vegas Aces: Scripps OTA + MGM Resorts venue streams
Seattle Storm: Local KZJO OTA + Storm app
Most other teams: Mix of FanDuel Sports family + national

Net: WNBA is genuinely cheaper to follow than the NBA because more of the games are free OTA and the RSN problem is less severe.

Verified 2026-05-17 via project-docs/SPORTS-RIGHTS-MASTER.md

Re-verify quarterly — WNBA deals refresh as the league expands.

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