The WNBA has reached a deal to air regular season games on Friday nights on the ION network in a sign of how sports leagues are trying to reach more fans on free over-the-air TV.
(Bloomberg) — The WNBA has reached a deal to air regular season games on Friday nights on the ION network in a sign of how sports leagues are trying to reach more fans on free over-the-air TV.
ION will broadcast the Women’s National Basketball Association games from May 26 to Sept. 8, according to a statement from the league and ION’s owner, Cincinnati-based E.W. Scripps Co.
The games are part of a new package created from the expansion of the WNBA’s season and other games from the league’s inventory. Terms of the deal weren’t disclosed.
It marks the first sports property to appear on national entertainment network ION, which Scripps bought in January 2021 for $2.65 billion. The ION network, which is popular among female viewers, reaches 100% of US homes via digital antennas, free streaming service and pay-TV.
In December, Scripps created a sports division, hoping to acquire TV rights from leagues that are concerned about dwindling viewership on cable-TV as cord-cutting accelerates.
Last season, the WNBA averaged 416,000 viewers, up 20% from the year before. The games aired on CBS and Disney’s ABC and ESPN.
The business of sports broadcasting, especially locally, is undergoing massive changes. In March, Diamond Sports Group, the largest US owner of local sports channels, filed for bankruptcy. Sports teams and leagues are looking for alternatives to cable channels for showing their games.
That’s created an opportunity for local broadcasters to acquire those rights. In another example, the NBA’s LA Clippers broadcast some of their games this season on KTLA 5, a free broadcast station owned by Nexstar Media Group Inc.
“We’re finding, especially given the implosion of the regional sports networks and cord-cutting, that leagues and teams recognize the value of the reach that Scripps has,” Chief Executive Officer Adam Symson said in an interview.
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