Amazon Prime Video and the WNBA, on Tuesday, announced a multi-year agreement for exclusive global streaming rights to 16 league games each season along with the Commissioner's Cup Championship Game, which this season is set for Sunday, August 12.
Coverage begins on Saturday, May 29 when the New York Liberty plays host to the Atlanta Dream.
The WNBA on Prime Video will be available worldwide as part of an Amazon Prime membership. Prime Video games will be distributed in the participating teams’ local markets through the teams’ local distribution partners.
“The WNBA is one of the premier professional sports leagues in the world and serves as an inspiration to millions of young and aspiring athletes everywhere,” Marie Donoghue, vice president of Global Sports Video at Amazon said in a statement. “I am delighted we are bringing these outstanding athletes and games to Prime Video.”
The agreement marks the first time that Prime Video will have exclusive global streaming rights for a women’s professional sports league.
The first nine games airing on Prime Video this year are part of the WNBA’s inaugural Commissioner’s Cup — an in-season competition. The competition will designate a portion of each team’s regular-season games, 10 per team, as part of the competition. The team with the best record from each conference in designated Commissioner’s Cup games will compete in the Commissioner’s Cup Championship Game and a special prize pool.
The Commissioner’s Cup Championship Game will be presented exclusively on Prime Video on August 12, following the Tokyo Summer Olympic Games.
The rest of the games being carried on Prime Video will be streamed following the conclusion of the Commissioner’s Cup.
The schedule of 2021 WNBA Games on Prime Video
- Saturday, May 29 – Atlanta @ New York, 2 p.m. ET
- Friday, June 4 – Dallas @ Seattle, 10 p.m. ET
- Saturday, June 12 – Chicago @ Indiana, 1 p.m. ET
- Wednesday, June 16 – Phoenix @ Los Angeles, 10:30 p.m. ET
- Tuesday, June 22 – Chicago @ New York, 7 p.m. ET
- Wednesday, June 30 – Las Vegas @ Los Angeles, 10:30 p.m. ET
- Thursday, July 1 – Connecticut @ Indiana, 7 p.m. ET
- Wednesday, July 7 – Phoenix @ Las Vegas, 10 p.m. ET
- Saturday, July 10 – Washington @ Chicago, 8 p.m. ET
- Tuesday, August 17 – Minnesota @ Connecticut, 7 p.m. ET
- Friday, August 20 – Seattle @ New York, 7 p.m. ET
- Thursday, August 26 – Dallas @ Washington, 7 p.m. ET
- Tuesday, August 31 – New York @ Minnesota, 8 p.m. ET
- Thursday, September 2 – New York @ Seattle, 10 p.m. ET
- Tuesday, September 7 – Connecticut @ Dallas, 8 p.m. ET
- Thursday, September 16 – Los Angeles @ Atlanta, 7 p.m. ET
“We’re grateful for Amazon’s support in increasing visibility and expanding access to our fans to more games on more devices, and we’re honored to be the first professional basketball league streamed on Prime Video as part of a Prime membership,” said WNBA commissioner Cathy Engbert.
Amazon’s WNBA deal comes on the heels of the recent announcement that its exclusive takeover of the NFL's Thursday Night Football package will begin in 2022 instead of 2023, as originally contracted. Under the prior broadcast and streaming contract, Amazon has shared rights to Thursday Night Football games with Fox and NFL Network since 2017.