Season-opening rivalry video video games between Caitlin Clark’s Indiana Fever and Angel Reese’s Chicago Sky, along with the New York Liberty and Las Vegas Aces, will air nationally on ABC as part of the group’s rising slate. The video video games highlighted the 2025 WNBA broadcast schedule the league launched on Thursday.
The Disney/ESPN family of networks will air 26 video video games, one other than it has in earlier seasons, and a model new extreme of 13 will air on its standard broadcast group, ABC. The earlier extreme was 9, which it tied a yr previously. The totals embrace the summer time season’s All-Star sport.
Clark and the Fever, who had been energetic in free firm signing veteran championship experience, will play in 5 of those ABC video video games and in three of eight video video games airing on CBS. Two of the CBS Network video video games are the first WNBA regular-season video video games to air in primetime on group television, the league talked about.
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May 17: vs. Sky, 3 p.m. ET, ABC
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May 24: vs. Liberty, 1 p.m. ET, CBS
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June 7: at Sky, 8 p.m. ET, CBS
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June 14: vs. Liberty, 3 p.m. ET, ABC
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July 13: vs. Wings, 1 p.m. ET, ABC
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July 27: at Sky, 2 p.m. ET, ABC
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Aug. 3: at Storm, 12 p.m. ET, ABC
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Aug. 9: vs. Sky, 8 p.m. ET, CBS
All 5 of the Fever’s contests in opposition to the Sky will air nationally on CBS, ABC and ION, which airs doubleheaders for appointment viewing on Friday nights. The linear group will air 50 video video games, in all probability essentially the most of any WNBA broadcast confederate. The first meeting between Clark and the Dallas Wings, who keep the No. 1 select throughout the WNBA Draft and are projected to choose UConn’s Paige Bueckers, will in all probability be carried out on ION on June 27.
In all, 41 of Indiana’s 44 video video games will air nationally along with 10 on ABC/ESPN and eight on ION. Six fully totally different networks set viewership knowledge airing Fever video video games in Clark’s rookie season. Three of those video video games involved the Sky with a peak of two.3 million on ESPN. Twenty-three WNBA video video games surpassed 1 million views a yr previously and 20 of them involved the Fever. Opposing teams have already moved their video video games in opposition to the Fever to larger arenas to help further ticket product sales.
It is the last word yr of the earlier media rights deal. The WNBA, Disney, Amazon Prime and NBC obtained right here to an 11-year deal worth a reported $200 million a yr that may go into influence in 2026. The Commissioner’s Cup will air on Prime Video.
Liberty, Aces highlight nationwide TV schedule
The Liberty and Aces, who blended gained the earlier three titles, will operate prominently on nationwide TV. The reigning champion Liberty, who’re in a position to repeat, will in all probability be in 32 video video games. The Aces, after together with Jewell Loyd in a commerce that despatched Kelsey Plum to Los Angeles, will appear in 33 nationally televised or streamed video video games. All three of their rematches (May 17, July 8, Aug. 13) will air on ABC or ESPN.
The 2024 Finals rematches between the Liberty and Minnesota Lynx that went a full 5 video video games will get hold of nationwide treatment. Their 4 video video games will air as quickly as each on ESPN, ABC, CBS and NBA TV.
Bueckers, Valkyries debuts
The Wings host Finals runner-up Minnesota on opening night time time in what is perhaps Bueckers debut. The sport will air on ION. Dallas accomplished eleventh of 12 teams and may play largely on ION and NBA TV. In addition to its July sport at Indiana airing on ABC, the Wings will play on ABC as soon as extra in August when it faces the Aces.
The Golden State Valkyries, the first development group given that Dream in 2008, will make their debut on ION in the middle of the three-game opening night time time. Golden State will host Los Angeles. They host the Aces on ABC in June and play on the Aces on CBS the following month.
