The Women’s Basketball League (WNBL) has signed a media rights deal extension with the Australian pay-TV network Foxtel and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) national broadcaster.
This agreement includes every fixture from the 2021/22 WNBL season, which commences from December 2. ABC linear and Fox Sports will feature a game from each fixture round in the premium Saturday slot of 5 PM.
Fox Sports’ Kayo streaming service will be broadcasting all 84 regular-season games and finals. This deal also includes that up to two games will be broadcasted per week on Kayo Freebies and one game per week on Kayo Youtube to broaden the WNBL’s accessibility for viewers.
Foxtel and Kayo have more than 2.4 million households watching its coverage. The Foxtel Group has claimed to have the largest audience of sports fans in Australia.
ABC’s main channel and the streaming service, Iview will broadcast one game live each week. In addition, the ABC will also be providing editorial coverage across radio, TV and digital channels.
“This broadcast deal is a win for the fans who are at the heart of every decision we make. The fans wanted live games in the premium Saturday 5pm timeslot and this will be available on Fox Sports and ABC,” said Matt Scriven, chief executive of Basketball Australia.
“The quality of the competition at the WNBL is world class, Foxtel, Kayo and ABC have the combined audiences to ensure the games can be watched in every household. The WNBL showcases the best talent in the country, and this broadcast deal ensures all the fans will have access to quality coverage throughout the season.”