The WNBA on ESPN refers to the presentation of Women's National Basketball Association games on the ESPN family of networks. Under the title of WNBA Tuesday, games are broadcast throughout the WNBA season on Tuesday nights on ESPN2.
Background
In June 2003, the WNBA signed a new six-year agreement with ABC Sports and ESPN to televise regular-season games and playoff games from 2003 through 2008. It was also announced that ESPN2 would televise a half-hour pre-game show before each broadcast. In June 2007, the WNBA signed another contract extension with ESPN. The new television deal ran from 2009 to 2016. A minimum of 18 games would be broadcast on ABC, ESPN, and ESPN2 each season. Additionally, a minimum of 11 postseason games would be broadcast on any of the three stations.
Along with this deal came the first ever rights fees to be paid to a women's professional sports league. WNBA president Donna Orender and John Skipper, ESPN vice president for content, gave no exact figure but said it was worth "millions and millions of dollars".
Beginning with the 2009 WNBA season, all nationally broadcast WNBA games are shown in high definition.
On March 28, 2013, ESPN and the WNBA announced they had extended their agreement through 2022. Under the agreement, there will be up to 30 games a year televised on ABC, ESPN or ESPN2 each season, including the Finals. Although the financial terms of the deal were not stated by ESPN or the WNBA, Sports Business Daily reported that sources said the deal was worth $12 million a year. In 2014, ESPN and the WNBA renegotiated the television rights deal to $25 million per year.
Announcers
Announcers change from year to year, but recent play-by-play personalities have included Terry Gannon, Mark Jones, Marc Kestecher, Beth Mowins, Dave Pasch, Ryan Ruocco, Pam Ward and Bob Wischusen. Generally, game broadcasts include a pair of announcers—alongside those providing play-by-play are the color analysts which have included Doris Burke, Andrea Joyce, Kara Lawson, Nancy Lieberman, Lisa Malosky, Ann Meyers, Stephanie Ready, LaChina Robinson, Carolyn Peck, Rebecca Lobo.
These broadcasts also commonly include a sideline reporter. Recent sideline reporters have included Heather Cox, Andrea Joyce, Lisa Malosky, Stephanie Ready, Holly Rowe, Michele Tafoya and Rebecca Lobo.
During halftime of the broadcasts, Cindy Brunson and more recently Doris Burke provide game analysis and other sports updates.
Wired
One unique aspect of WNBA coverage on the ESPN family of networks is that many of the participants wear live microphones. Starting with the 2003 WNBA All Star Game (which aired on ABC), most games televised have involved coaches, players and referees being wired for sound. On some occasions, the sound of players and coaches talking will overlap with commentary; also, on several occasions, ESPN has had to mute the sound because of expletives.
Controversy
During the 2006 WNBA Finals, Detroit Shock head coach, and former ESPN NBA analyst, Bill Laimbeer became irritated by ESPN's coverage, quoted by the Detroit Free Press as saying:
Laimbeer banned ESPN from the Shock locker room for Game 4 of the series, and also refused to wear a live microphone for that game (as had been the custom throughout the regular season and the playoffs).
Former Connecticut Sun head coach Mike Thibault admitted that he does not like having a microphone on during games. He also said that he sometimes finds himself turning the microphone off.
Viewership
Initially, Saturday and Sunday afternoon games were broadcast on ABC. Tuesday night games were broadcast on ESPN2. But over time that changed. For 2013, only one game was shown on ABC on Saturday, June 8, and thirteen games were shown on ESPN2 on five different days of the week (no WNBA games were shown on Sunday or Friday on ESPN2). On opening day for the 2008 season (May 17), ABC broadcast the Los Angeles Sparks and Phoenix Mercury matchup. The game received a little over 1 million viewers. Average viewership for games broadcast on national television (ABC and ESPN2) was 100(up from 0 in 2007). Average viewership for the 2007 WNBA finals was 500.
In 2008, the WNBA finished up in key demographics on ESPN2—Women 18–34 (+71%) and Men 18–34 (+28%) – and on ABC—All Women (+10%) and Women 18–34 (+20%).