How to Watch the WNBA in 2026: Full TV and Streaming Guide
The WNBA's 30th season is set to tip off in two weeks after an eventful offseason.
With two new expansion teams joining the mix, the WNBA will play a league-record 330 games, with 216 distributed across multiple platforms. It all begins Friday, May 8 with six teams in action, including the expansion Toronto Tempo.
How to Watch the WNBA in 2026 (Quick Guide)
Cable / Live TV: ESPN, ABC, CBS, NBC, USA Network, ION
Streaming: Amazon Prime Video, Peacock, Paramount+
League Pass: Out-of-market games (blackouts apply)
Preseason: All games stream free on WNBA League Pass; four games will air on ION.
WNBA on TV: Games by Day
• Mondays: USA, Peacock
• Tuesdays: ESPN
• Wednesdays: USA
• Thursdays: Prime Video
• Fridays: ION
• Saturdays: ESPN, CBS
• Sundays: ABC, NBC, ESPN
Overview
The 2026 season will be the WNBA's first under its 11-year media-rights deal, secured in July 2024. The WNBA will continue partnerships with ABC/ESPN, Amazon Prime Video, CBS/Paramount+, and ION. The media rights deal also features new partnerships with NBCUniversal (NBC/Peacock/NBCSN) and USA Sports. Games will continue to be distributed on NBA TV as well.
Under the new media-rights deal, the WNBA Finals will rotate between Disney, Amazon Prime, and NBC. This season, NBC hosts the Finals, with every game streaming on Peacock and telecast on either NBC or USA Network.
ABC/ESPN: Disney Networks will present 30 of the league's 330 games this season on either ESPN or ABC. ESPN will broadcast 17 games, with ABC picking up the other 13 -- including the 2026 AT&T WNBA All-Star Game.
NBC -- Seven Sundays and Peacock Mondays: NBC aired the first-ever WNBA game in 1997, a matchup between the Los Angeles Sparks and New York Liberty at the Great Western Forum in Inglewood, CA. Now the network is set to air seven Sunday games, including two primetime matchups (Indiana Fever vs Las Vegas Aces, July 12; Indiana Fever at Chicago Sky, August 23). Peacock will also stream 12 Monday matchups and three weekend games.
ION -- Friday Night Doubleheaders: Ion paces all networks with 50 broadcasts this season. Tune in every Friday night for doubleheader action as part of its "State Farm WNBA Friday Night Spotlight."
Prime Video: Amazon Prime Video will stream 30 regular-season games and retains exclusive access to the Championship Game of the WNBA Commissioner's Cup. They will also serve as the third party digital distribution destination for WNBA League Pass.
CBS: CBS will air eight primetime games in 2026 as part of a 20-game slate. The remaining 12 games can be found on the CBS Television Network and Paramount+.
USA Network: USA Network boasts a 48-game slate, with games primarily on Wednesday nights (28) and Monday nights (11).
Marquee Matchups
Friday, May 8: Opening Night Tripleheader on ION -- Connecticut Sun at NY Liberty (7:30 pm EST); Washington Mystics at Toronto Tempo (7:30 pm EST); Golden State Valkyries at Seattle Storm (10:00 pm EST)
Opening night kicks off on ION with three games, including Toronto's debut against the Washington Mystics. Gabby Williams will play the Seattle Storm for the first time after signing a multi-year contract in free agency with the Golden State Valkyries.
Saturday, May 9: Opening Weekend on ABC -- Dallas Wings at Indiana Fever (1:00 pm EST); Phoenix Mercury at Las Vegas Aces (3:30 pm EST)
The last two WNBA Rookies of the Year, Caitlin Clark (2024) and Paige Bueckers (2025), square off on ABC, followed by a 2025 WNBA Finals rematch between A'ja Wilson's Aces and Alyssa Thomas' Phoenix Mercury.
Sunday, May 17: NBC -- Las Vegas Aces at Atlanta Dream (1:30 pm EST)
The WNBA returns to NBC with a matchup between the reigning champion Aces and a star-studded Atlanta Dream squad.
Saturday, May 23: CBS -- Los Angeles Sparks at Las Vegas Aces (8:00 pm EST)
The first of eight primetime games on CBS features a west-coast matchup between Las Vegas and the Los Angeles Sparks.
Thursday, June 4: Amazon Prime Video -- Atlanta Dream at Indiana Fever (7:00 pm EST)
Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese go toe-to-toe for the first time in 2026 in a Commissioner's Cup game.
Saturday, June 6: CBS -- Indiana Fever at New York Liberty (8:00 pm EST)
The Liberty and Fever provided plenty of fireworks in their meetings last season. They'll square off for the first time in 2026 as part of the WNBA Commissioner's Cup in a primetime game on CBS.
Tuesday, June 9: ESPN -- Atlanta Dream at Chicago Sky (7:00 pm EST)
Angel Reese, now with Atlanta, makes her highly anticipated return to Wintrust Arena to take on the Chicago Sky for the first time since a blockbuster trade this offseason.
Sunday, June 21: ESPN -- New York Liberty at Los Angeles Sparks (8:00 pm EST)
A rematch of the WNBA's inaugural game from 1997 -- on the exact anniversary of the first-ever matchup.
Tuesday, June 30: Amazon Prime Video -- WNBA Commissioner's Cup Championship Game
Prime Video will exclusively stream the WNBA Commissioner's Cup for a sixth straight season.
Sunday, July 5: ESPN -- Indiana Fever at Las Vegas Aces (7:00 pm EST)
A primetime matchup on ESPN featuring a clash between two MVP candidates in Caitlin Clark and A'ja Wilson.
Saturday, July 25: ABC -- 2026 AT&T WNBA All-Star Game (Time TBD)
Disney Network will broadcast All-Star weekend, including the titular game on ABC.
Saturday, August 1: ABC -- New York Liberty at Phoenix Mercury (3:00 pm EST)
Star forward Satou Sabally returns to Phoenix for the first time since signing a multi-year contract with the Liberty in free agency.
Sunday, August 9: ABC -- Las Vegas Aces at New York Liberty (12:30 pm EST)
The winners of the last four WNBA titles -- the Aces (2022, 2023, 2025) and the Liberty (2024) -- square off on national television.
Thursday, September 24: Regular Season Finale on USA Network -- Indiana Fever at Minnesota Lynx (8:00 pm EST); Las Vegas Aces at Phoenix Mercury (10:00 pm EST)
The 2026 regular season concludes with five games and 10 of the league's 15 teams in action. That includes a doubleheader on USA Network, featuring a matchup between Caitlin Clark's Fever and Napheesa Collier's Minnesota Lynx, as well as one last 2025 WNBA Finals rematch.
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Lou Orlando is a Fordham University alum, graduating with a Bachelor's Degree in Journalism. At Rose Hill, he covered women's basketball for the university newspaper, the Fordham Ram. In addition to calling games on 90.7 FM. The Brooklyn native enjoys bagels and thinking about random early-2010s athletes, that is when he isn't penning stories for Women's Fastbreak and Indiana Fever On SI.
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