Napheesa Collier of the Minnesota Lynx scored the decisive basket against the New York Liberty during Game 1 of the 2024 WNBA Finals at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, on October 10, 2024. Warner Bros. Discovery is committed to keeping professional basketball broadcasts on TNT Sports.
A new professional women’s basketball league named Unrivaled, co-founded by WNBA players Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier, has signed a multiyear media rights agreement to air its games exclusively on TNT, truTV, and the streaming platform Max. The terms of this deal have not been disclosed. This three-on-three league was established earlier this year amid rising interest in women’s sports, particularly basketball.
The WNBA has seen significant increases in attendance and viewership this season, propelled by rookies Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, which has extended into the finals featuring Collier and Stewart. This surge in interest has led to the WNBA expanding its season from 40 to 44 games, and its Finals series from five to seven games for the upcoming season.
Unrivaled plans to operate during the months leading up to the WNBA season, providing an alternative for athletes to play basketball domestically during the offseason. The league offers player equity and contract opportunities with unprecedented average salaries for a women’s professional sports league. Reese, Stewart, Collier, and other top WNBA players have committed to playing in the new league.
Beginning January 17, more than 45 primetime regular-season games will air across TNT Sports platforms, with games scheduled on TNT on Mondays and Fridays, and additional broadcasts on truTV on Saturdays. Highlights and other content will be available on TNT platforms like Bleacher Report and House of Highlights, with Unrivaled’s games airing exclusively on TNT Sports channels.
Alex Bazzell, president of Unrivaled, emphasized the importance of consistency in broadcasting and praised the partnership with platforms such as Bleacher Report and House of Highlights for their ability to promote storytelling beyond the games. The recent increase in WNBA interest has resulted in a media rights deal valued at $2.2 billion for 11 seasons, as reported by CNBC. The WNBA’s media rights are part of the NBA’s agreement.
The NBA’s recent 11-year, $77 billion media rights agreement with Amazon, Disney’s ESPN, and Comcast’s NBCUniversal marked the end of a long-standing relationship with Turner Sports, leading Warner Bros. Discovery to file a lawsuit in an effort to retain its rights. This partnership with Unrivaled offers Turner Sports a chance to continue airing basketball if the lawsuit is unsuccessful.
Unrivaled and TNT Sports will collaborate with Mediapro North America for audio and TV production. Charles Barkley, TNT Sports broadcaster and NBA Hall of Famer, has confirmed his commitment to TNT Sports regardless of future NBA media rights. TNT Sports has expanded its portfolio to include Major League Baseball, the National Hockey League, college football playoff games, and the French Open.
The new league boasts a strong lineup of investors, including TNT Sports. Unrivaled recently announced its financial stability and security for players and stakeholders until at least 2028. Initial investors include former ESPN President John Skipper, ex-Turner President David Levy, and former Warner Bros. CEO Ann Sarnoff. Additional athletes and business figures such as Carmelo Anthony and Alex Morgan have also invested through a venture capital firm. Levy and Skipper led the media rights negotiations, and TNT Sports has agreed to invest an undisclosed amount in Unrivaled’s latest funding round. This aligns with Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav’s interest in sports deals involving intellectual property ownership.
