Breanna Stewart, #30 of the New York Liberty, dribbles the ball against Napheesa Collier, #24 of the Minnesota Lynx, in the fourth quarter during Game Three of the WNBA Finals at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Oct. 16, 2024.<\/p>\n
David Berding | Getty Images<\/p>\n
Versant has signed a new 11-year media deal with the Women’s National Basketball Association, the company announced Tuesday.<\/p>\n
The agreement kicks off for the 2026 season and includes at least 50 WNBA games annually and portions of playoff and finals games during select years, the company said.<\/p>\n
Versant, the parent company of cable networks and brands soon to be spun off from Comcast<\/a>, has been rapidly acquiring sports rights and diving deeper into women’s sports in particular.<\/p>\n The latest agreement expands upon a previous package between the WNBA and Versant’s USA Network<\/a> signed in 2024. The coverage will include Wednesday night double-headers, a dedicated pregame show and a postgame studio show.<\/p>\n “We’re incredibly proud to expand our multi-year partnership with the WNBA,” said\u00a0Matt Hong, president of sports for Versant. “USA Network will be a destination for WNBA viewers all season long, as we showcase the star power across the league.”<\/p>\n Get the CNBC Sport newsletter directly to your inbox<\/p>\n The CNBC Sport newsletter with Alex Sherman brings you the biggest news and exclusive interviews from the worlds of sports business and media, delivered weekly to your inbox.<\/p>\n Subscribe here to get access today<\/a>.<\/p>\n For the WNBA, currently in its 29th season, the deal comes amid record-breaking television viewership, attendance, merchandise sales and team valuations.<\/p>\n “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.<\/p>\n The league signed an 11-year media rights deal with\u00a0Disney<\/a>,\u00a0Amazon<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Comcast<\/a>-owned NBCUniversal last July as part of the NBA’s media rights negotiation. The WNBA’s\u00a0deal<\/a>\u00a0is valued at about $200 million per year, CNBC previously reported. It also signed a new media deal with Scripps’ Ion<\/a> in June.<\/p>\n Versant said production details, including studio commentary teams, will be announced in the coming months.<\/p>\n The new WNBA deal will mean that for eight months out of the year, women’s sports will be broadcast live on USA Network.<\/p>\n Earlier this month, Versant struck a multiyear deal<\/a> with League One Volleyball to broadcast primetime games on Wednesday nights. In August, the company signed a deal to extend its rights<\/a> with the U.S. Golf Association, worth $93 million annually, according to a person familiar with the deal who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss terms of the deal.<\/p>\n Versant also holds numerous golf rights through the Golf Channel, in addition to rights across Premier League soccer, WWE, NASCAR, Atlantic 10 college basketball coverage and the Olympics.<\/p>\n