The WNBA recently wrapped up what will likely be the last of its media rights agreements for quite some time.
Last week, the league finalized a broadcast agreement with CBS Sports to carry 20 regular-season games on the broadcast channel each year. That deal was described as “long-term” in the announcement, though no exact length was given. Three other WNBA media rights deals are tied up in the NBA’s 11-year agreements with ESPN, NBC, and Prime Video, which terminate in 2036. Versant, the spinoff entity comprising of NBC’s former cable networks, is also in for 11 years with a package of 50 games each season, part of which is playoff inventory that had been carved out for USA Network under NBC’s initial deal.
That leaves Ion, which reached a deal with the WNBA last summer to extend its package of Friday night games. The initial announcement did not indicate how long the agreement would run for. Ion’s initial broadcast agreement with the WNBA ran for three seasons, beginning in 2023.
Now, according to a report by Jonathan Lehman in the New York Post, we know the deal will run for six years, through the 2031 WNBA season. While not confirmed, this would be a strong indication that CBS’s recent deal likely also runs through 2031, as the league would ideally have its contracts expire simultaneously in order to maximize flexibility the next time it takes its media rights to market.
If that is the case, the WNBA’s media rights situation will be rock solid for the foreseeable future. And on the heels of a new collective bargaining agreement, that gives the league immense stability as it enters a period of quick expansion. The league is set to add five new franchises by 2030, with two — the Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo — joining this upcoming season.
Notably, the New York Post report also indicated that Ion is profitable on both its WNBA and NWSL broadcast deals. Financial details of the agreements are not publicly available.
Additionally, Ion is in Year 3 of a five-year pact with the NWSL, a detail that was also previously unreported.