Amazon Prime Video Extends WNBA Exclusive Streaming Pact for Two More Years
Women’s pro hoops are coming back to Amazon’s Prime Video for at least two more years.
Prime Video and the WNBA on Friday announced a rights renewal deal under which Prime Video will continue to be the exclusive U.S. streaming partner for a package of 21 games each season, including the Championship Game of the WNBA Commissioner’s Cup. The Prime Video deal extension covers the 2024 and ’25 seasons.
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Financial terms of the pact were not disclosed. Prime Video first became an WNBA partner for the 2021 season, when it streamed 16 games. The 2024 season is expected to run from May 14-Sept. 19 with each of the league’s 12 teams playing 40 games.
Per Amazon, the 2023 WNBA Commissioner’s Cup attracted the largest audience for an WNBA game ever for Prime Video, nearly doubling the viewership over the prior year. The deal renewal comes amid a surge in interest in women’s sports in general. The WNBA stands to attract a new wave of fans with the expected arrival of college stars like the University of Iowa’s Caitlyn Clark and LSU’s Angel Reese, both of whom have declared for the league’s upcoming draft.
Prime Video has exclusive global streaming rights (excluding China, Japan, the U.K., Italy, Spain, Finland and Germany) to the 20 WNBA regular-season games and the league’s championship game. In addition Prime Video provides live coverage of the WNBA’s Seattle Storm, with additional Storm games available exclusively to Prime members in Washington State.
“We’re thrilled to continue bringing exclusive national coverage of the WNBA and highlighting these exceptional athletes to Prime members,” said Charlie Neiman, head of sports partnerships at Prime Video, in a statement. “Following a successful 2023 season, we’re looking forward to reaching even more milestones with the WNBA and furthering our commitment to women’s sports.”
The WNBA’s biggest media partner is ESPN, whose agreement with the league also runs through 2025, and it also has media-rights deals with CBS and ION.
WNBA chief growth officer Colie Edison commented, “We are incredibly pleased that Prime Video is making a meaningful and continued commitment to the WNBA and will once again provide a great platform to showcase the world-class athletes of our league across the regular season and particularly with its streaming of the Championship Game.”
The full schedule of 2024 WNBA games on Prime Video will be announced as part of the upcoming release of the WNBA’s entire broadcast and streaming release in the coming weeks, according to Amazon.
The deal shows Amazon continues to find value in acquiring sports rights. Its biggest pact is its deal for the NFL’s “Thursday Night Football” games package, set to run through the 2033 season. In addition, Prime Video recently snagged exclusive U.S. rights to one NFL playoff game for the 2024-25 season.
In the U.S., Prime Video’s sports lineup in addition to the WBNA and “TNF” includes events from the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), the New York Yankees, Overtime Elite, Premier Boxing Champions and the Professional Pickleball Association in the U.S. In addition, Prime Video has ONE Championship in the U.S. and Canada; Premier League in the U.K.; UEFA Champions League football in Germany and Italy; Roland-Garros and Ligue 1 in France; New Zealand Cricket in India; Copa do Brasil football and the NBA in Brazil; and boxing and the 2023 World Baseball Classic in Japan.
Pictured above: Kelsey Plum (No. 10) of the Las Vegas Aces grabs a rebound against Kayla Thornton (No. 5) of the New York Liberty during Game Four of the 2023 WNBA Finals on Oct. 18, 2023, in Brooklyn.
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