WNBA on ABC


WNBA on ABC is an Television in [the United States|American television] sports presentation show broadcast by ABC. It premiered on May 24, 2003. The consist of branding used for presentation of Women's National Basketball Association.

Background

In the early years, two women's-oriented networks, Lifetime and Oxygen, also broadcast games including the first game of the WNBA. NBC showed games from 1997 to 2002 as part of their NBA on [NBC Sports|NBA on NBC] coverage before the league transferred the rights to ABC/ESPN.

Coverage breakdown

In June 2007, the WNBA signed a contract extension with ESPN. The new television deal ran from 2009 to 2016. A minimum of 18 games would be broadcast on ABC, ESPN, and ESPN2 each season; the rights to broadcast the first regular-season game and the All-Star Game were held by ABC. Additionally, a minimum of 11 postseason games would be broadcast on any of the three stations. Along with this deal, came the first-ever rights fees to be paid to a women's professional sports league. Over the eight years of the contract, "millions and millions of dollars" would be "dispersed to the league's teams".
Initially, Saturday and Sunday afternoon games were broadcast on ABC. But over time that changed. For 2013, only one game was shown on ABC on Saturday, June 8, and thirteen games were shown on ESPN2 on five different days of the week. On opening day for the 2008 season, ABC broadcast the Los Angeles Sparks and Phoenix Mercury matchup. The game received a little over 1 million viewers. Average viewership for games broadcast on national television was 413,000. Average viewership for the 2007 WNBA finals was 545,000.
Viewership for the 2011 [WNBA All-Star Game] on ABC was up 46% from the previous game. Game 1 of the 2015 WNBA Finals telecast on ABC, drew 571,000 viewers, up from 558,000 for Game 1 in 2014. Game 1 of the 2016 WNBA Finals was broadcast on ABC and had 0.5 overnight rating, which was the best since 2010. The five game 2016 Finals broadcast on ABC, ESPN and ESPN2 averaged a 0.3 rating and 487,000 viewers. Average viewership in 2016 was 224,000 viewers.

Announcers

Play-by-play

Color analyst

Sideline reporter