The WNBA Playoffs are down to two teams, and the WNBA Finals are ready to take place. The No. 2-seeded Golden State Valkyries will take on the No. 4-seeded Atlanta Dream in the seven-game series. Angel Reese and Rhyne Howard lead the Dream, while Gabby Williams leads the Valkyries into the series. Dream leading scorer Allisha Gray is day-to-day to play in the finals after suffering an injury. Games 1 and 4 will be on NBC and Peacock, while games 2, 3, 5, 6, and 7 will be on CNBC, USA Network, and Peacock. If you are looking for a live TV streaming service with the best mix of channels and price, we recommend streaming the finals action with a five-day free trial to DIRECTV. You can also watch with one of Peacock’s two Premium subscription options.

How to watch the 2026 WNBA Finals

• When: Starts Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026, at 3:30 p.m. ET
• TV: NBC, Peacock, CNBC, USA Network
• Stream: Watch with a five-day free trial to DIRECTV and Peacock.
• From anywhere: Watch with a subscription to a VPN.

Everything you need to know to stream the 2026 WNBA Finals

What is the schedule of the 2026 WNBA Finals?

Why we recommend DIRECTV to watch the 2026 WNBA Finals

When it comes to offering the most channels in streaming, every live TV streaming service is chasing DIRECTV. The platform offers the most of The Streamable’s top 35 cable channels, so if you are looking for a breadth of programming options, DIRECTV is a surefire hit. In addition, the streamer has the industry’s best guaranteed free trial. While others can roll out longer options depending on what time of year it is and what qualifications you meet as a customer, DIRECTV offers a five-day trial to all new users. So, if you are specifically looking to watch the WNBA Finals, this is the option that makes the most sense. Also, you can watch the weekend of football for free as well to see if you like it.

But DIRECTV is able to offer an even more compelling package of channels for football fans. Earlier this year, DIRECTV launched its Genre Packs that allow people to pick curated channel lineups around central themes and genres, and for sports fans, that means the MySports Pack.

The MySports plan runs $65 a month after the aforementioned five-day free trial, which gives you a way to check out everything that it has to offer before having to pay a penny. However, currently, you can also save an additional $15 off your first month, so you will only pay $50 for the first 30 days of the season.

You’ll also get a bunch of great sports channels with MySports, including ACC Network, Big Ten Network, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNEWS, ESPNU, FS1, FS2, Golf Channel, MLB Network, NBA TV, NFL Network, NHL Network, SEC Network, TBS, TNT, and USA Network, and depending on your market, ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC.

These channels bring you an incredible selection of games from across pro and college sports, oh, and MySports also comes with a free ESPN Unlimited subscription. Pretty solid. All these channels and features are available for just $65, which is why it’s our favorite way to watch.

Watch a preview of the 2026 WNBA Finals

Can you watch the 2026 WNBA Finals free?

If you are just looking for a streaming service to watch a specific gme or two, there are options available for you. We already mentioned DIRECTV’s industry-leading guaranteed option, but Hulu + Live TV, Fubo, and YouTube TV all offer free trials as well, but they vary in length, so be wary. DIRECTV’s trial runs for five days, while Hulu + Live TV’s is a solid three days.

Those are pretty straightforward, but when it comes to the sports-minded streamer Fubo, things can get a little complicated. As The Streamable’s expert David Satin discovered when signing up for the services, figuring out how long Fubo’s trial is — even as you are signing up — can be a bit difficult. Nonetheless, it will be at least one day, with the potential to be as many as seven, depending on a wide range of factors that Fubo does not share publicly.

The YouTube TV trial is said to be “up to two weeks,” but can be as short as two days. So it is difficult to ascertain what you are actually getting before you go through the sign-up process.

If you are looking to watch the finals action for free, I would recommend DIRECTV, because that streamer has the longest guaranteed free trial and gives you the best channel options.

What you need to know about the 2026 WNBA Finals

The Valkyries swept the defending champion Las Vegas Aces in the Semifinals and defeated the Dallas Wings in the First Round to advance to the franchise’s first-ever WNBA Finals in only its second year of existence. Two-time WNBA All-Star Gabby Williams, who finished runner-up to Reese in the 2026 WNBA Defensive Player of the Year voting, is averaging 22.7 points per game to go along with nearly five rebounds during the playoffs. Three-time WNBA champion Kiah Stokes leads the team defensively with 9.5 rebounds and two blocks per game.

The Dream, also in pursuit of their first title, are led by Reese, who in her first season in Atlanta was named 2026 WNBA Defensive Player of the Year and became the first player since eight-time WNBA All-Star Tina Charles in 2010-2012 to lead the WNBA in rebounding in three consecutive seasons. Reese is joined by fellow multi-time WNBA All-Stars Rhyne Howard and Allisha Gray, all three of whom finished in the top 20 in scoring in the league. Atlanta has yet to lose a game in the 2026 postseason, sweeping the New York Liberty in the Semifinals and Washington Mystics in the First Round.

What are all of the streamers you can use to watch the 2026 WNBA Finals?

Fortunately for basketball fans, there are six different streaming services that will stream the game, so you have options to choose from if you don’t already subscribe to any of them. We discussed DIRECTV and the free trial options above, but there is one more, and it offers a different type of streaming arrangement.

In addition to the live TV streaming options, since games 1 and 4 are being broadcast on NBC, you will be able to stream them on Peacock’s two Premium tiers. Peacock Premium runs $11 per month, while Premium Plus comes with additional features for $17 monthly.

Sign Up

peacocktv.com

Peacock

Peacock is a subscription video streaming service from NBCUniversal that includes original shows, blockbuster movies, and classic television series. Peacock is home to “Yellowstone,” “The Office,” and original hits like “Poker Face” and “Bel-Air.” You can also watch live sports and NBC programming, including the NFL, MLB, WWE, the Olympics, the Premier League, NASCAR, the French Open, college football and basketball, and the PGA Tour. Premium Plus subscribers can stream their local NBC feed in all 210 markets.

…

Peacock also includes news, entertainment, sports, late-night, and reality from various NBCU properties, including NBC, Bravo, and E!. Additionally, Peacock has exclusives like “Below Deck: Down Under.” They also include live and on-demand access to Hallmark channels.

The company has acquired the rights to many classic shows, including “Parks and Recreation” and the entire Dick Wolf library, which includes “Law & Order” and “Chicago Fire.”

Peacock features weekly Sunday night NFL games during the regular season, available on the Premium and Premium Plus plans.

Peacock again raised prices on August 18, 2026, with the cost of plans increasing to $8.99 for the Select, $12.99 for Premium, and $19.99 for Premium Plus.

The service also features blockbusters and critically acclaimed films from Universal Pictures, Focus Features, DreamWorks Animation, Illumination, as well as content acquired from Hollywood’s biggest studios.

Sign Up

$8.99+ / month

peacocktv.com

How to watch the 2026 WNBA Finals with a VPN

If you’ll be away from home and can’t watch the WNBA Finals as you normally would, you can still catch all of the action, no matter where you are in the world with a VPN. A VPN can be used on your phone, tablet, or computer and make you appear to be back home — even when you’re not — making sure you feel at home no matter where you are. A VPN is a safe and secure way to stay protected online while streaming your favorite sports, movies, and shows on the go. Keep in mind that you will still need to be subscribed to a live TV streaming like DIRECTV in order to stream all the games with a VPN.

ExpressVPN is one of the best providers around, at one of the best prices. Currently, you can get a month of service for as little as $5. ExpressVPN is the most-trusted VPN on the market and comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee. ExpressVPN has servers in 105 countries, best-in-class encryption, 24-hour live support, and the best speeds available.

While ExpressVPN is our recommendation for the best VPN to use while you are traveling, there are a number of other high-quality options available depending on what you are looking for.

• Most Secure: NordVPN | Starting at $3.09 per month
• Best Budget Option: Surfshark | Starting at $2.50 per month
• Best Free Option: Proton VPN | Free plan available

Live TV Streaming Find out more >

Service Matchmaker

Our Matchmaker lets you compare multiple channels across all live TV streaming services. Just tell us what you watch and we’ll handle the rest.

Start Matchmaker

$20

$21

$90

$64

$25

$83

The Streamable is reader-supported and may earn an affiliate commission when you sign up with our links. Learn More