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List of WNBA Finals broadcasters

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The following is a list of the television networks and announcers that have broadcast the WNBA Finals.

2020s

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Year Network Games Play-by-play Color commentator(s) Sideline reporter(s) Studio host Studio analyst(s)
2024 ESPN[1] 1, 3–5 Ryan Ruocco Rebecca Lobo Holly Rowe LaChina Robinson (Games 1, 3–5)
Elle Duncan (Game 2) 		Andraya Carter, Carolyn Peck and Chiney Ogwumike
ABC[1] 2
2023 ABC[2] 1, 3 Holly Rowe and Andraya Carter LaChina Robinson Carolyn Peck and Chiney Ogwumike
ESPN[2] 2, 4
2022 ABC[3] 1 Carolyn Peck
ESPN[3] 2–4
2021 ABC[4] 1 Holly Rowe and Rosalyn Gold-Onwude Sue Bird and Carolyn Peck
ESPN[4] 2, 4
ESPN2[4] 3
2020 ESPN2[5] 1 Holly Rowe Swin Cash (Game 1–2)
ABC[5] 2
ESPN[5] 3

2010s

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Year Network Games Play-by-play Color commentator(s) Sideline reporter(s) Studio host Studio analyst(s)
2019 ESPN[6] 1–2 Ryan Ruocco Rebecca Lobo Holly Rowe and LaChina Robinson N/A
ABC[6] 3
ESPN2[6] 4–5
2018 ESPNNEWS[7] 1 Holly Rowe (Game 2–3)
LaChina Robinson (Game 1) 		N/A
ABC[7] 2
ESPN2[7] 3
2017 ABC[8] 1 Holly Rowe (Game 1–2, 4–5)
LaChina Robinson (Game 3) 		N/A
ESPN[8] 4–5
ESPN2[8] 2–3
2016 ABC[9] 1 Holly Rowe (Game 2, 4–5)
LaChina Robinson (Game 1, 3) 		N/A LaChina Robinson
ESPN[9] 4
ESPN2[9] 2–3, 5
2015 ABC 1 Holly Rowe N/A Carolyn Peck
ESPN 4
ESPN2 2–3, 5
2014 ABC 1 N/A
ESPN 2
ESPN2 3
2013 ESPN 1 Randy Scott
ESPN2 2–3
2012 ESPN2 1, 3 and 4 Pam Ward (Game 1)
Terry Gannon (Game 2–4) 		Cindy Brunson
ESPN 2
2011 ESPN 1 Pam Ward Holly Rowe
ESPN2 2–3 Terry Gannon Heather Cox
2010 ABC 1 Carolyn Peck Heather Cox and Rebecca Lobo Doris Burke
ESPN2 2, 3

Notes

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  • Game 1 of the 2016 WNBA Finals was broadcast on ABC and had 0.5 overnight rating (597,000 viewers), which was the best since 2010.[10][11] The 5 game 2016 Finals broadcast on ABC, ESPN and ESPN2 averaged a 0.3 rating and 487,000 viewers.[12] Average viewership in 2016 was 224,000 viewers.[13]
  • Game one of the 2015 WNBA Finals telecast on ABC, drew 571,000 viewers, up from 558,000 for game 1 in 2014.[14] Game three of the finals drew 432,000 viewers, and game five drew 583,000, both on ESPN2.[15][16]
  • The 2014 WNBA Finals averaged 659,000 viewers across the ESPN channels, up 91% from the 2013 finals between the Minnesota Lynx and the Atlanta Dream which averaged 345,000. Overall, the 2014 playoffs averaged a 0.3 rating and 489,000 viewers on the ESPN networks, up from 0.2 and 272,000 in 2013.[17]
  • Game 2 of the 2012 WNBA Finals between the Indiana Fever and Minnesota Lynx was broadcast on ESPN (games 1,3 and 4 were on ESPN2) and received 778,000 viewers and a .6 household rating. This was the highest rated WNBA broadcast on ESPN since a 1999 Western Conference Finals game between the Houston Comets and Los Angeles Sparks received 1,052,000 viewers and a 1.1 household rating.[19][20] The average viewership for the 4 finals games in 2012 was 477,000.[17]

2000s

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Year Network Games Play-by-play Color commentator(s) Sideline reporter(s) Studio host Studio analyst(s)
2009 ESPN2 All Terry Gannon Carolyn Peck Heather Cox and Rebecca Lobo Pam Ward Nancy Lieberman
2008 Doris Burke Heather Cox and Holly Rowe Nancy Lieberman and Carolyn Peck
2007 ESPN2 1, 3–5 Heather Cox and Rebecca Lobo Linda Cohn
ESPN 2
2006 ESPN2 All Dave Pasch Heather Cox and Stephanie Ready Nancy Lieberman and Becky Hammon
2005 1–2, 4 Terry Gannon Heather Cox and Rebecca Lobo Pam Ward Nancy Lieberman and Geno Auriemma
ABC 3
2004 ESPN2 All Ann Meyers and Greg Anthony Doris Burke and Heather Cox
2003 ESPN2 1, 3 Mark Jones Ann Meyers Doris Burke Michele Tafoya Nancy Lieberman
ABC 2
2002 NBC 2 Paul Sunderland Chris Wragge and Andrea Joyce Hannah Storm None
ESPN2 1 Michele Tafoya Doris Burke N/A John Saunders Nancy Lieberman
2001 NBC 2 Mike Breen Ann Meyers Andrea Joyce Hannah Storm
ESPN 1 Michele Tafoya Doris Burke N/A
2000 NBC 2 Tom Hammond Ann Meyers Andrea Joyce Hannah Storm None
Lifetime 1 Michele Tafoya Reggie Miller Fran Harris Persefone Contos

Notes

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  • The 2009 WNBA Finals between the Mercury and Fever had the highest average ratings (548,000 viewers), since average finals ratings began being recorded in 2007.[17]
  • ESPN returned to the fold in the year 2001, broadcasting the first game with NBC airing the second and decisive game between the Los Angeles Sparks and Charlotte Sting. For NBC's final year of coverage in 2002, ESPN2 this time, broadcast the first game with NBC again covering what would become the second and ultimately decisive game. The Los Angeles Sparks' 69–66 victory over the New York Liberty on August 31, 2002, would therefore, prove to be the final broadcast of the WNBA on NBC. The league would soon thereafter, transfer the television rights[21] to ABC/ESPN.[22][23][24]

1990s

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Year Network Games Play-by-play Color commentator(s) Sideline reporter(s) Studio host Studio analyst(s)
1999 Lifetime 1 Michele Tafoya Reggie Miller None
NBC 2–3 Mike Breen Ann Meyers Lisa Malosky Hannah Storm and Ahmad Rashad
1998 2 Tom Hammond[25] Hannah Storm Ann Meyers
ESPN 1, 3 Robin Roberts Geno Auriemma N/A
1997 NBC[26] 1 Hannah Storm[27][28][29] [30][31] Ann Meyers[32]

Notes

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  • The first WNBA season in 1997 concluded with what was at the time, a single championship game. The following year, the finale series into a best-of-three games series, with NBC airing the first two games and ESPN airing the decisive third game. In 1999, ESPN aired the first game of the championship series while NBC covered the following two. Come the year 2000, Lifetime temporarily assumed ESPN's role as the WNBA's cable outlet for the WNBA Championship. Like the year prior, Lifetime broadcast the first game while NBC covered the second and ultimately decisive game between the Houston Comets and New York Liberty. This marked Houston's fourth consecutive WNBA Championship.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Brito, Santa (October 9, 2024). "ESPN and ABC to Exclusively Air the 2024 WNBA Finals Presented by YouTube TV – New York Liberty vs Minnesota Lynx Begins Thursday, Oct. 10". ESPN Press Room. Retrieved October 4, 2024.
  2. ^ a b Brito, Santa (October 4, 2023). "ESPN and ABC to Exclusively Air the 2023 WNBA Finals Presented by YouTube TV – Las Vegas Aces vs. New York Liberty Begins Sunday, Oct. 8". ESPN Press Room. Retrieved May 3, 2024.
  3. ^ a b Elchlepp, Kimberly (September 9, 2022). "Disney Networks to Provide Exclusive Coverage of WNBA Finals Presented by YouTube TV – Las Vegas Aces vs. Connecticut Sun Begins Sunday on ABC". ESPN Press Room. Retrieved May 3, 2024.
  4. ^ a b c Elchlepp, Kimberly (October 9, 2021). "ESPN's Exclusive Coverage of the WNBA Finals Presented by YouTube TV Featuring Chicago Sky vs. Phoenix Mercury Begins Sunday, Oct. 10". ESPN Press Room. Retrieved May 3, 2024.
  5. ^ a b c Elchlepp, Kimberly (October 1, 2020). "ESPN's Coverage of the WNBA Finals Presented by YouTube TV Begins Friday, Oct. 2". ESPN Press Room. Retrieved May 3, 2024.
  6. ^ a b c Elchlepp, Kimberly (September 26, 2019). "WNBA Finals Tip Off on Sunday on ESPN". ESPN Press Room. Retrieved May 3, 2024.
  7. ^ a b c Chozet, Tara (September 6, 2018). "2018 WNBA Finals Tip off Friday on ESPNEWS". ESPN Press Room. Retrieved May 3, 2024.
  8. ^ a b c Chozet, Tara (September 21, 2017). "2017 WNBA Finals Tip off Sunday on ABC with Sparks-Lynx Rematch; Playoffs Viewership on ESPN and ESPN2 up 6%". ESPN Press Room. Retrieved May 3, 2024.
  9. ^ a b c Chozet, Tara (October 6, 2016). "2016 WNBA Finals between Minnesota Lynx and Los Angeles Sparks Tips off Sunday on ABC". ESPN Press Room. Retrieved May 3, 2024.
  10. ^ "ESPN: 2016 WNBA Finals Game 1 delivers best overnight rating since 2010". hoopfeed.com. October 10, 2016. Retrieved October 10, 2016.
  11. ^ Robinson, Sam (October 11, 2016). "WNBA Finals draws best Game 1 rating since 1998". todaysfastbreak.com. Retrieved October 11, 2016.
  12. ^ Paulsen (October 24, 2016). "Despite Classic Ending, WNBA Finals Down on ESPN2". Sports Media Watch. Retrieved June 27, 2017.
  13. ^ "Numbers don't lie". Swish Appeal. Retrieved 2018-10-16.
  14. ^ "Game 1 of WNBA Finals sees Viewership Increase from 2014". The Futon Critic. October 8, 2015. Retrieved November 4, 2015.
  15. ^ Paulsen (October 12, 2015). "More Ratings: SVP SportsCenter, WNBA Finals, NASCAR Xfinity". Sport Media Watch. Retrieved November 4, 2015.
  16. ^ Paulsen (October 15, 2015). "Ratings Roundup: WNBA Finals, Premier Boxing, NHL on NBCSN". Sports Media Watch. Retrieved November 4, 2015.
  17. ^ a b c Paulsen (September 18, 2014). "2014 WNBA Finals Hits Multi-Year Viewership High". www.sportsmediawatch.com/. Retrieved October 7, 2014.
  18. ^ Ourand, John; Karp, Austin (November 11, 2013). "With rebound, WNBA solidifies spot at ESPN". sportsbusinessdaily.com. Sports Business Journal. Retrieved November 12, 2013.
  19. ^ "2012 WNBA Finals Schedule". WNBA. October 2012. Retrieved Sep 19, 2013.
  20. ^ "Game 2 of the WNBA Finals most viewed WNBA postseason game on ESPN since 1999". Hoopfeed.com. October 18, 2012. Retrieved September 18, 2012.
  21. ^ "WNBA players hint at a strike". Washington Times. June 13, 2002.
  22. ^ "ESPN2, ABC Grab WNBA TV Rights". Multichannel News. June 12, 2002.
  23. ^ "WNBA Announces Six-Year Deal with ABC and ESPN". WNBA.com. June 12, 2002.
  24. ^ Sandomir, Richard (June 13, 2002). "PLUS: PRO BASKETBALL; ABC And ESPN2 To Broadcast W.N.B.A. Games". The New York Times.
  25. ^ "Retro: Western Washington, Sat. Aug 29th, 1998". Radio Discussions. April 7, 2012.
  26. ^ "The Spokesman-Review - Page 14". The Spokesman-Review. August 30, 1997. Retrieved May 12, 2024.
  27. ^ Gill, Suzanne (June 15, 1997). "HANNAH STORM CALLS THE SHOTS". The Washington Post. Retrieved October 6, 2023.
  28. ^ Siegal, Rachel (June 21, 2011). "Storm hails WNBA's first 15 years". ESPN Front Row. Retrieved October 6, 2023.
  29. ^ Kaplan, Don (August 3, 1999). "STORM BREWING – WILL NBC SPORTSCASTER FIT GUMBEL'S GLASS SLIPPER?". New York Post.
  30. ^ Hirsley, Michael (November 26, 1997). "NBC'S NEW NO. 1 TEAM IS COSTAS, THOMAS". Chicago Tribune.
  31. ^ "NBC's Storm to Work the W.N.B.A." The New York Times. May 15, 1997.
  32. ^ Meyers Drysdale, Ann (May 15, 2012). You Let Some Girl Beat You?: The Story of Ann Meyers Drysdale. Behler Publications. ISBN 9781933016870.
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