CNBC will simulcast 11 WNBA games this season, launching with the defending champion Las Vegas Aces versus the Phoenix Mercury this Wednesday at 10 p.m. ET. The schedule features doubleheaders that begin with the 8 p.m. ET matchup between the New York Liberty and the Chicago Sky on USA Network, followed by the CNBC telecast of the second game. The announcement comes as part of Versant’s 11-year media rights agreement with the league, a deal that Versant said includes both regular-season and postseason games, with USA Network set to air at least 50 games annually.
CNBC’s parent company Versant noted that the CNBC simulcast will expose the WNBA to an affluent audience and marks a new chapter for the business news network after it spun out from Comcast. The goal of the simulcasts is to ensure that fans don’t miss any of the action, according to USA Sports President Matt Hong. He added that doubleheaders can run long, so viewers will have the option to switch to the other game if overlap occurs.
In addition to the CNBC telecasts, the matchups will air on Versant’s USA Network. Wednesday also marks the debut of Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham as an athlete contributor for Versant, who will participate in studio coverage for both games of the doubleheader on both networks. CNBC has previously carried Olympic events and occasional golf events, but the WNBA simulcast represents a further push into live sports for the cable channel. “Sports is obviously must-see television. I’d put live news and live financial news in that category as well,” said Hong on CNBC’s Squawk Box.
Versant has been right-sized for independent carriage negotiations since its spin-out, now negotiating distribution deals without the former NBCUniversal umbrella. Versant’s brands also include MS NOW, E!, SyFy and Oxygen, along with digital platforms Fandango, Rotten Tomatoes, GolfNow and GolfPass. Since the spin-off news, Hong has signed five new, expanded or extended rights deals with multiple leagues, including NASCAR, the PGA Tour, LPGA, and Pac-12 football and basketball.
Disclosure: Versant is the parent company of CNBC. In short, CNBC’s WNBA simulcast broadens exposure for the league while Versant expands its live-sports distribution strategy.
