The Seattle Storm have agreed to a new multiyear partnership with local Sinclair affiliates KOMO-TV and KUNS-TV to serve as its exclusive broadcast television partners. Games for the four-time WNBA champions will be accessible to more than 2.3 million fans across the Western region of Washington State for free, presenting 33 broadcasts to fans throughout the upcoming WNBA season. This marks the first time these local networks have agreed to a deal with a women’s professional league, and it will further broaden the reach of coverage.
“We are thrilled to welcome KOMO and the CW to the Storm family. From the start, it was clear we shared the same vision of making Storm basketball even more accessible for our fans and creating a larger impact amongst the broader community,” Nate Silverman, chief commercial officer of the Seattle Storm, said in a statement. “We wanted to provide fans the ability to watch our team in a way that best suits them, whether that be on cable, local TV or digital platforms. We’re excited to now offer more ways to watch the team this season as we compete for a fifth championship.”
KUNS-TV, an affiliate of The CW, will be broadcasting all non-national exclusive Storm games and distribute contests across cable, satellite and over-the-air television. KOMO-TV will be airing 13 of those games this season, and matchups broadcast on both networks will also be available on digital platforms such as YouTube TV and Hulu Live. In addition, KOMO-TV will be producing pregame content for select contests in addition to features during other programming as well, including its daily lifestyle show Seattle Refined. Features will also run on the ARC Seattle community program airing on KUNS-TV.
With this deal, the Storm have become the fifth team in the WNBA to earn remuneration from over-the-air broadcast networks, joining the Indiana Fever, New York Liberty, Las Vegas Aces and Dallas Wings in this regard. For the last four years, Storm games have aired on Fox 13 and Fox 13+, a deal that was negotiated in house, according to a report from Tom Friend of Sports Business Journal.
“Sinclair is committed to expanding access to high-quality local sports coverage, and the broadcast partnership with the Seattle Storm is a testament to that mission. Bringing Seattle Storm basketball to KOMO and KUNS ensures that more fans across the region can experience the excitement of the WNBA,” Rob Weisbord, chief operating officer and president of local media for Sinclair Broadcast Group, said in a statement. “We are dedicated to elevating women’s sports, from our partnership with the WTA, to expanding visibility for the WNBA, we aim to provide more avenues for viewers to watch their favorite players and teams.”
The regular-season slate of games begins on Saturday, May 17 when the Storm face the Phoenix Mercury in the quest to win their first league championship since the 2020 campaign. One of the games on the schedule is against the Fever, who have the last two No. 1 overall draft selections in Aliyah Boston and Caitlin Clark as part of their starting lineup.
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