Caitlin Clark’s First WNBA Game Will Stream on Disney+; TEGNA Expands Indiana Fever Coverage to More Areas
The game will mark the first time Disney+ has offered a live, non-animated sporting event.
The WNBA and Disney know exactly what kind of a ratings draw new Indiana Fever player Caitlin Clark will be. A total of 36 out of 40 Fever games will be played on nationally-available channels this season, and her May 14 debut is set to become a first in the history of the Disney+ streaming service. ESPN has announced that Clark’s first-ever game with the fever on May 14 will be available live on Disney+, and will also air on ESPN2 as well as ESPN+. Additionally, TEGNA has announced that 11 more markets will join the footprint of WTHR, the TEGNA-owned Indianapolis NBC station that carries Fever games in that area, ensuring that the maximum number of fans can see Clark’s first season.
Key Details:
- Clark’s Disney+ debut marks the first rollout of live, non-animated sports on the streamer before ESPN content arrives later this year.
- Davenport and Des Moines Iowa, Lexington, Kentucky, and more markets will now have access to Fever games.
- TEGNA will offer 17 Fever games in the 2024 WNBA season.
Disney+ will feature a WNBA doubleheader on May 14 starting at 7:30 p.m. ET, with the Fever opening the season at the Connecticut Sun. That game will be followed by the Phoenix Mercury taking on last year’s WNBA champion Las Vegas Aces, and fans will have plenty of options to watch since the games will appear on ESPN+ and ESPN2 in addition.
The games will mark the first time Disney+ has ever presented a live sporting event that isn’t animated. In each of the last two years, the streamer has offered a “Big City Greens“-themed animated presentation of an NHL game, and during the 2023 season it also carried an animated version of a live NFL game featuring characters and settings from the “Toy Story” franchise.
The addition of live-action sports to Disney+ is just a preview of what’s to come. Starting in 2024, the streamer will offer select events and content from the linear ESPN channel, ahead of an even bigger sports rollout on the streamer when the full ESPN add-on launches on Disney+ sometime in 2025.
Which New Areas Will Get Indiana Fever Coverage from TEGNA?
TEGNA announced in April that it would be airing 17 Fever games on its WTHR NBC affiliate, as well as its WALV MeTV station in Indianapolis. This week, the Fever and TEGNA announced that WTHR’s coverage will be expanded to 11 additional markets, creating a 12-market footprint for the team overall across several Midwestern states. A total of 4.6 million homes will now have access to Fever games on free, over-the-air networks.
Check out the stations carrying Indiana Fever games in new markets below:
| Market | Channel(s) |
|---|---|
| Indianapolis, Ind. | WTHR 13.1, 13.3 and WALV 46.1 |
| Champaign-Springfield, Ill. | WCIX 49.1 & WCIA 3.1 |
| Cincinnati, Ohio | WXIX 19.3 |
| Davenport, Iowa | WQAD 8.1, 8.3 |
| Dayton, Ohio | WKEF 22.3 |
| Des Moines, Iowa | WOI 5.1 & KCWI 23.1 |
| Evansville, Ind. | WFIE 14.2 |
| Fort Wayne, Ind. | WPTA 21.3 |
| Lafayette, Ind. | WPBY 35.1, 35.2 |
| Lexington, Ky. | WKYT 27.2 |
| Louisville, Ky. | WHAS 11.1, 11.2 |
| South Bend, Ind. | WCWW 25.1 & WYMS 69.1 |
“We could not be more excited to make these exciting WNBA games available to more fans, in more homes, across more markets, including Caitlin Clark’s home state of Iowa,” said Brad Ramsey, SVP at TEGNA. “We are grateful to the Pacers organization, the WNBA, and our broadcast partners for their trust, and for helping us create a first of its kind fan experience.”
Which Fever Games Will Be Available Free?
| Date | Time (ET) | Opponent |
|---|---|---|
| Thursday, May 16 | 7 p.m. | New York Liberty |
| Wednesday, May 22 | 10 p.m. | Seattle Storm |
| Saturday, May 25 | 9 p.m. | Las Vegas Aces |
| Thursday, May 30 | 7 p.m. | Seattle Storm |
| Saturday, June 1 | 1 p.m. | Chicago Sky |
| Monday, June 10 | 7 p.m. | Connecticut Sun |
| Thursday, June 13 | 7 p.m. | Atlanta Dream |
| Wednesday, July 10 | 12 noon | Washington Mystics |
| Saturday, Aug. 24 | 8 p.m. | Minnesota Lynx |
| Monday, Aug. 26 | 7:30 p.m. | Atlanta Dream |
| Wednesday, Aug. 28 | 7 p.m. | Connecticut Sun |
| Sunday, Sept. 1 | 4 p.m. | Dallas Wings |
| Wednesday, Sept. 4 | 7 p.m. | Los Angeles Sparks |
| Sunday, Sept. 8 | 4 p.m. | Atlanta Dream |
| Wednesday, Sept. 11 | 7 p.m. | Las Vegas Aces |
| Sunday, Sept. 15 | 3 p.m. | Dallas Wings |
| Thursday, Sept. 19 | 7 p.m. | Washington Mystics |
Disney+
Disney+ is a video streaming service with over 13,000 series and films from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic, The Muppets, and more. It is available in 61 countries and 21 languages. It is notable for its popular original series like “The Mandalorian,” “Ms. Marvel,” “Loki,” “Obi-Wan Kenobi,” and “Andor.”