The WNBA will remain on ESPN through the league’s 25th anniversary, with announcement planned for later today.
Sports Business Daily reported Thursday that ESPN and the WNBA have reached a new 10-year, $12 million/year television media rights deal through the 2022 season. The Sacramento Bee first reported that a deal was in the works.
For some perspective, the $12 million/year rights fee is more than half of what ESPN will annually pay the old Big East Conference starting in 2014.
Under the new deal, the ESPN family of networks will air two additional WNBA games per season via an annual Memorial Day doubleheader on ESPN2.
The new deal replaces the current ESPN/WNBA agreement that was to run through the 2015-16 season. Keep in mind the new agreement does not affect ESPN’s NBA contract, which also runs through the 2015-16 season. From 1997 to 2002, ESPN held WNBA rights while being shut out of the NBA.
The WNBA will also launch a new logo to coincide with the new TV deal.
(Thursday’s news from Sports Business Daily)
