The new ‘Unrivaled’ women’s basketball league – which will launch its inaugural season in January – has announced a TV deal.
The league, co-founded by WNBA stars Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier, will employ a 3-on-3 style and feature a total of 30 top players like Kelsey Plum, Brittney Griner and Angel Reese.
And according to a press release, the league has reached an exclusive, mult-year agreement with TNT Sports for broadcast rights, with games also set to appear on TruTV.
All games will also be streamed on Max.
The agreement spans 45 regular season matchups, with TNT set to broadcast games twice per week and TruTV once a week.
Angel Reese and Breanna Stewart are among the stars who will take part in the league
The league has shared an early look at what its court will look like in its first season
TNT Sports has also agreed to invest an undisclosed amount into the league – joining a list of major backers like Alex Morgan, Megan Rapinoe, Steve Nash and Carmelo Anthony.
Notably, the league previously announced that players will each have a minimum starting salary of $100,000 each – which it says makes it the highest-paid pro US women’s sports league.
The WNBA season only runs from May to September, so ‘Unrivaled’ gives top players a chance to earn more money outside of that time period.
‘Unrivaled’ is also player-owned, ‘offering participating players in its inaugural season equity opportunities for a vested interest in the league’s success,’ according to the press release.
Megan Rapinoe, seen at the 2024 Olympics, is among the backers of the league
To the chagrin of some fans, however, the league is not currently set to feature WNBA Rookie of the Year Caitlin Clark.
Asked about the possibility of joining the 3-on-3 competition in August, she said ‘Honestly, I’m just focused on this right now. One thing at a time. Can’t always just be moving on to the next, my focus is right here.’
However, the league is still set to announce four more players, meaning it’s at least possible that Clark features.
The ‘Unrivaled’ season begins on January 17 in Miami.
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