[2] Along with this deal came the first ever rights fees to be paid to a women's professional sports league.

[4] Under the agreement, there will be up to 30 games a year televised on ABC, ESPN or ESPN2 each season, including the Finals.

[7] In 2014, ESPN and the WNBA renegotiated the television rights deal to $25 million per year.

[8] Announcers change from year to year, but recent play-by-play personalities have included Terry Gannon, Mark Jones, Marc Kestecher, Beth Mowins, Dave Pasch, Ryan Ruocco, Pam Ward and Bob Wischusen.

Generally, game broadcasts include a pair of announcers—alongside those providing play-by-play are the color analysts which have included Doris Burke, Andrea Joyce, Kara Lawson, Nancy Lieberman, Lisa Malosky, Ann Meyers, Stephanie Ready, LaChina Robinson, Carolyn Peck, Rebecca Lobo.

Recent sideline reporters have included Heather Cox, Andrea Joyce, Lisa Malosky, Stephanie Ready, Holly Rowe, Michele Tafoya and Rebecca Lobo.

During halftime of the broadcasts, Cindy Brunson and more recently Doris Burke provide game analysis and other sports updates.

One unique aspect of WNBA coverage on the ESPN family of networks is that many of the participants wear live microphones.

During the 2006 WNBA Finals, Detroit Shock head coach, and former ESPN NBA analyst, Bill Laimbeer became irritated[10] by ESPN's coverage, quoted by the Detroit Free Press as saying: I just hear from our family and friends back home that, 'Boy, ESPN is killing you guys,' ... 'And (Nancy) Lieberman and Doris Burke are just trashing you left and right.'

... We're telling ESPN today to basically stick it.Laimbeer banned ESPN from the Shock locker room for Game 4 of the series, and also refused to wear a live microphone for that game (as had been the custom throughout the regular season and the playoffs).

Former Connecticut Sun head coach Mike Thibault admitted that he does not like having a microphone on during games.

[11] On opening day for the 2008 season (May 17), ABC broadcast the Los Angeles Sparks and Phoenix Mercury matchup.

[32] 2019 the regular season WNBA viewership across ESPN and ABC networks averaged a combined 246,000 viewers.