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Unrivaled, a new 3x3 professional basketball league, begins Jan. 17. Founded by six-time WNBA All-Star Brenna Stewart and four-time WNBA All-Star Napheesa Collier in July 2023, it will feature 30 of the top players in women basketball.
The 30 players in the Unrivaled league will be divided into six teams, playing on a compressed and full court. The six teams include: The Laces, Luna Owls, Mist, Phantom, Rose and Vinyl.
Let's take a look at the Unrivaled Basketball League TV deal:
What is the Unrivaled basketball league TV deal?
The Unrivaled league, which was created to give women the chance to avoid playing overseas during the offseason, signed an exclusive multi-year media rights with TNT Sports.
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The deal, according to the Sports Business Journal, is "a guaranteed three-year deal with a three-year WBD option that could take the total six-year value to approximately $100M."
The deal between the Unrivaled league and the media giants was announced on Oct. 16. They noted in a press release that the deal will bring:
"Sustained stability and financial security for all playersand stakeholders through at least 2028."
The partnership deal includes:
- Live game coverage which will be exclusively on TNT (Mondays and Fridays), truTV (Saturdays) and Max.
- More than 45 primetime regular season games on three nights a week.
- It also includes an undisclosed amount of financial investment.
The deal is also beneficial for TNT as they hope to tap into the growing popularity of the women's game. The network's deal with the NBA concludes at the end of the 2024-25 season, so Unrivaled is set to provide additional basketball coverage.
Who is taking part in the Unrivaled basketball league?
The league is divided into six teams of five players each. The teams include: the Laces, Lunar Owls, Mist, Phantom, Rose and Vinyl.
Some of the notable players taking part include the founders, Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier, Angel Reese, Arike Ogunbowale, Aliyah Boston and Sabrina Ionescu, who was the latest player to join on Dec. 23.
There were plans to get reigning WNBA MVP A'ja Wilson as well as Rookie of the Year Caitlin Clark on board. But while both players declined to take part, the tournament is set to go ahead as planned and usher in a new era for women's basketball.
