Versant announced an 11-year media rights agreement with the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA), effective from the 2026 season through 2036.
This deal positions USA Network as a primary broadcast home for WNBA content, expanding on the league's broader 11-year media partnerships signed in July 2024 with Disney, Amazon Prime Video, and NBCUniversal (valued at approximately $200 million annually across all partners).
The Versant agreement specifically transfers and enhances the USA Network portion of NBCUniversal's original package, ensuring continuity post-spinoff while adding more games and dedicated resources. Financial terms for the Versant-specific deal were not disclosed, but it reportedly provides additional revenue to the WNBA beyond the 2024 NBCUniversal commitment.
Game Coverage: At least 50 WNBA games per season on USA Network, encompassing regular-season matchups, portions of the playoffs (including semifinals in select years), and WNBA Finals games in designated years starting in 2026.
Programming Format: Coverage will anchor around Wednesday night doubleheaders featuring marquee games. Each broadcast night will include dedicated pregame and postgame studio shows to build viewer engagement.
WNBA Finals Rotation: In years when Versant holds Finals rights (rotating with Disney and Amazon), games will split between USA Network and NBCUniversal's NBC broadcast network. For 2026 specifically, USA Network will air three Finals games.
Versant will maintain a dedicated on-air and production team for WNBA content. Games on USA Network will not stream on Peacock (NBCUniversal's platform), making cable access essential. Full 2026 scheduling, including commentary teams, will be revealed later.
This deal complements the WNBA's overall 2026-2036 media landscape, where Disney, Prime Video, and NBCUniversal will distribute over 125 regular-season games annually league-wide. Scripps' Ion will continue airing games through 2026, while CBS's renewal remains undecided.