TNT’s media deal with Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier’s Unrivaled league is a win for the WNBA

Unrivaled’s new TNT deal is a HUGE win for the WNBA and women’s basketball.

Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier’s Unrivaled basketball league finally has a new home. TNT Sports has agreed to broadcast games in primetime, which feels like a massive win for such a young organization.

Much has been made of Unrivaled, including how well it could be the premier destination for the WNBA’s top talent to play during the offseason. But, with Stewie and Phee giving the world a taste of the level of competition the league will presumably bring in the WNBA Finals, it’s not shocking that TNT Sports jumped in to support.

Unrivaled’s new multi-year media rights partnership includes exclusive live game coverage on TNT and truTV — along with all games being streamed on Max — starting January 17, 2025. That means fans will see 30 of the WNBA’s best, including Angel Reese, during 45 matchups spread across TNT on Mondays and Fridays and truTV on Saturdays.

Why is this a huge deal? It legitimizes the league and helps women’s basketball grow.

Luis Silberwasser, chairman and CEO of TNT Sports, recently reiterated that notion, saying, “Our media and equity partnership with Unrivaled deepens our commitment to further expanding the depth of top-tier women’s sports programming we offer our fans and presents an opportunity for us to shape and amplify the continued growth of women’s basketball.”

WNBA players on TNT is also a tremendous win for the W because it creates additional exposure for its athletes and silences many critics who aren’t convinced of the level of elite talent that exists beyond the names that generate clicks and views.

This is a fantastic move by TNT, Stewie, Phee, and Unrivaled’s introduction into the sports world. It nailed a critical step early, and we need more of this level of investment.

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