NBCUniversal spinoff Versant perhaps just secured its most important media rights agreement to date.
Versant, the new spinoff entity that will house NBC’s cable assets including USA Network, Golf Channel, and more, will be the WNBA’s largest broadcast partner by volume for the next 11 years, according to an announcement by the league on Tuesday. As part of the reworked deal, USA Network will air at least 50 WNBA games each season, primarily centered around a Wednesday night doubleheader. USA Network will also air games during three of the next 11 WNBA Finals, along with a package of playoff games.
Versant Announces Media Rights Agreement to Broadcast WNBA Games pic.twitter.com/EuLhTnflnh
— WNBA Communications (@WNBAComms) September 30, 2025
The deal came to fruition as part of the new 11-year NBA broadcast agreement signed by NBCUniversal. That deal, signed prior to NBC’s official spinoff announcement, included WNBA rights for both NBC and USA Network. With the spinoff set to commence at the turn of the new year, NBC, Versant, and the WNBA needed to come together to sort out deal terms.
The new deal expands USA Network’s allocation of games, while NBC and Peacock will still keep all of the games that were agreed to as part of the initial contract. As part of the WNBA’s new broadcast deals, signed in conjunction with the NBA’s new agreements, the WNBA retained leftover inventory to sign additional partners. USA Network will now fall under that category, as will Scripps’ Ion, which will continue to air games through the 2026 season. CBS, the other current WNBA rights partner outside of the NBA-integrated deals, has not yet indicated whether it will renew its package of games beyond this year.
Under the initial agreements, NBC had rights to three of the next 11 Finals, the first of which is scheduled for the 2026 season. Per the release, USA Network will air WNBA Finals games starting next year. One can assume its three years lineup with when NBC was initially scheduled to air the series.
About Drew Lerner
Drew Lerner is a staff writer for Awful Announcing and an aspiring cable subscriber. He previously covered sports media for Sports Media Watch. Future beat writer for the Oasis reunion tour.