Caitlin Clark Will Be on National TV a Lot in Her First WNBA Season; Where to Stream the Presumed No. 1 Draft Pick
A total of 36 out of 40 Indiana Fever games will be played on nationally-available channels and streaming services this WNBA season.
There’s no sense in denying that Caitlin Clark is a powerful draw for basketball fans. The 2024 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament national championship game featuring Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes taking on the South Carolina Gamecocks drew 18.9 million viewers, over 4 million more than watched the Men’s title game. Clark is virtually guaranteed to be the first overall pick in Monday’s WNBA draft, meaning she’ll join the Indiana Fever. WNBA schedule makers are not ignoring the opportunity, and have announced that the Fever will play 36 of their 40 total games on nationally-broadcast channels and streaming services.
- ABC/ESPN/ESPN2 and Ion will each get eight Fever games, the most of any provider.
- Prime Video will stream four Fever games exclusively in 2024, in addition to the Commissioner’s Cup championship.
- DIRECTV STREAM, Fubo and YouTube TV are the best platforms available for watching the maximum number of Fever games this year.
The WNBA is leaning into Clark Fever, and with good reason. This year’s Women’s March Madness title game beat a record set by the 2023 edition of that game, which saw 9.9 million viewers tune in to watch Clark’s first bid for a national championship. Ratings for WNBA games are already climbing, and the league is obviously willing to leverage Clark’s popularity to boost numbers even higher.
Disney-owned channels and Ion are set to receive the biggest inventory of Indiana Fever games next year, scoring eight apiece. Amazon’s Prime Video recently agreed to a new deal with the WNBA to offer 21 exclusive games per season exclusively on its platform, including the in-season Commissioner’s Cup championship; four Fever games are set to appear on Prime Video in 2024.
All 12 WNBA teams will play on a nationally-broadcast channel or streamer at least once. The Las Vegas Aces will play 35 games on national channels and streamers, coming off a 2023 season that saw them win their second consecutive title. Their 2023 WNBA Finals opponent the New York Liberty have the third-most nationally-available games with 31.
| Channel | Number of Indiana Fever Games in 2024 |
|---|---|
| ABC/ESPN/ESPN2 | 8 |
| CBS | 2 |
| CBS Sports Network | 1 |
| Ion | 8 |
| NBA TV | 13 |
| Prime Video | 4 |
Which Streamers Will Show the Most Indiana Fever Games in 2024?
Because the Fever will play four games on Prime Video, there is no one platform that will show all Indiana Fever games in 2024. However, there are three live TV streaming services that carry all the linear channels which will offer nationally-broadcast Fever contests this year.
| DTV STREAM | Fubo | Hulu | Philo | Sling TV | YouTube | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free Trial | Free Trial | Free 3-Day Trial | Free Trial | Get $10 Off | Sign Up | |||
| $79.99 | $91.99 | $76.99 | $25 | $40 | $40 | $72.99 | ||
| ABC | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - | - | ✓ | ✓ | |
| CBS | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - | - | - | ✓ | |
| CBS Sports Network | + $15 | ✓ | ✓ | - | - | - | ✓ | |
| ESPN | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - | ✓ | - | ✓ | |
| Ion | ✓ | ✓ | - | - | - | - | ✓ | |
| NBA TV | + $15 | + $8 | - | - | + $11 | + $11 | ✓ | |
The Streamable’s favorite way to watch Fever games in 2024 is DIRECTV STREAM. This platform comes with a five-day free trial, and most channels needed to stream the Fever are included in its $79.99-per-month Entertainment package. Viewers will need the Sports add-on pack to get NBA TV and CBS Sports Network, but even at a total of $94.99 per month, the number of channels available and free add-ons like three months’ access to Max and STARZ make DIRECTV STREAM the best choice to watch Fever games all season long.
Fubo also offers new customers a free trial, but its length depends on what time of month you sign up. Fubo subscribers will find all the channels they need to stream national Indiana Fever games in its Pro plan, which ostensibly starts at $79.99 per month. However, 98% of Fubo customers have to pay an additional regional sports network (RSN) fee based on how many such channels are available in their area. If viewers have one RSN in their market, the fee is $11.99 per month; two or more RSNs nets a fee of $14.99 per month. Given that Fubo doesn’t include any free access to premium streamers in its subscription price, it’s our second choice for watching Caitlin Clark’s new team in action this year.
Like Fubo, YouTube TV has all the channels needed to stream Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever in its base plan. But YouTube TV does not offer the same free trial to all new and returning customers, nor does it throw in free access to any other streamers when you subscribe. It’s still a perfectly viable option for watching the Indiana Fever in 2024, but it’s last on The Streamable’s list.