WNBA to broadcast record 216 games in 2026 season

WNBA to broadcast record 216 games in 2026 season

A record 216 WNBA games will be broadcast this season in the league’s 30th year of play, the WNBA announced Wednesday. The league renewed television partnerships with ABC/ESPN, Amazon Prime Video, CBS Television Network/Paramount+, ION and NBA TV, and signed deals with new partners NBC/Peacock/NBCSN and USA Network.

“The WNBA is coming off a landmark season in 2025, one that was defined by incredible basketball and countless memorable performances,” WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert said in the media release. “With an incredible 2026 draft and so many notable free-agency signings and trades now giving way to the start of the season, the WNBA’s unprecedented lineup of linear and streaming partners will shine a light on must-see matchups, and the remarkable skills the WNBA’s stars provide each time they step on the court.”

ION will broadcast 50 games, the most of any partner, this season as it anchors Friday nights with doubleheaders. USA Network, a new partner, has a 48-game slate, anchoring Monday and Wednesday nights.

ABC/ESPN will air 30 games and events, honoring the 30 seasons, including the highly anticipated opening weekend doubleheader featuring Indiana versus Dallas, as well as the 2025 finals rematch between defending champion Las Vegas and runner-up Phoenix, which is set to be broadcast on ABC on May 9. ESPN will also debut its Women’s Sports Sundays, a nine-week run of WNBA and NWSL games on ESPN, which debuts on June 21, filling the network’s Sunday time slot formerly occupied by “Sunday Night Baseball.” ESPN’s regular-season coverage averaged 1.3 million viewers per game last season.

Prime Video, which began streaming WNBA games six seasons ago, will stream 31 games, including all Commissioner’s Cup matchups. CBS and Paramount+ will broadcast 20 games, including eight in prime time on CBS. NBC, which broadcast the first WNBA game 30 years ago, will broadcast seven games. NBA TV will air 15 games.

All of the ’s 44 games will be broadcast nationally, allowing fans to watch as she returns to the floor this season following an injury that cut short her 2025 season.