TNT Sports nets WNBA rights in UK and Ireland

Source: WNBA (Image credit: Getty Images)

Sports pay TV operator TNT Sports will live broadcast Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) games in the UK & Ireland as part of a new multi-year deal.

The Warner Bros. Discovery-owned broadcaster will air 16 regular- WNBA games each season. The agreement also covers a selection of games from the WNBA Playoffs, WNBA Finals and WNBA All-Star. The WNBA All-Star Game is broadcast every year with the 2024 competition taking place in late July. WNBA on-demand content will also be available on TNT Sports and streaming destination discovery+.

The WNBA deal comes off the heels of the TNT Sports and the NBA multi-year broadcasting partnership announced in October. The pay TV platform will air more than 250 live games and a range of NBA programming in the UK and Ireland, including the NBA Cup, the NBA Playoffs, the Finals and NBA All-Star.

Amazon Prime Video recently extended its streaming rights to WNBA across global markets, excluding the UK, China, Italy, Spain, Finland, and Germany. The streamer is set to livestream 21 WNBA games each season.

TNT Sports’ WNBA programming kicks off May 15, with teams New York Liberty to take on the Washington Mystics.

Trojan Paillot, SVP sports rights acquisitions and syndication, Warner Bros. Discovery Europe, said: “We are delighted to show the elite athletes that star in the WNBA beginning with the 2024 season, strengthening our women’s sport offering in the UK and Ireland which already includes Premiership Women’s Rugby, UEFA Women’s Champions League football, and Women’s UFC.

“The opportunity to broadcast the WNBA is another step to reflecting the diversity of our audience, while at the same time complementing our current basketball rights such as the NBA.”

Colie Edison, chief growth officer, WNBA, said: “We are thrilled to collaborate with TNT Sports to bring the excitement of the WNBA to fans in the UK and Ireland. There is incredible momentum around women’s basketball in the region, and now fans will be able to more easily follow their favourite WNBA teams and players throughout the season.”