TNT Sports, the Warner Bros. Discovery-owned pay-TV broadcaster, and Unrivaled, the new 3x3 professional women’s basketball league set to launch in the US in January, have reached a multi-year media rights partnership.
The partnership allows the broadcaster to exclusively present live Unrivaled game coverage on the TNT and truTV channels, along with all games being streamed on Max.
The agreement features more than 45 primetime regular season matchups three nights a week across TNT Sports platforms, with twice-weekly games on TNT as the lead network on Mondays and Fridays and additional broadcasts on truTV on Saturdays.
As part of the partnership, TNT Sports has agreed to invest an undisclosed amount in Unrivaled.
In-depth Unrivaled highlights and additional content will be distributed across all TNT Sports platforms, including Bleacher Report, House of Highlights, and HighlightHER.
Unrivaled and TNT Sports will also partner with Mediapro North America to support all audio and visual production components of each match.
Luis Silberwasser, chairman and chief executive of TNT Sports, said: "Our TNT Sports portfolio centers on premium live sports, and our media and equity partnership with Unrivaled deepens our commitment to further expanding the depth of top-tier women's sports programming we offer our fans and presents an opportunity for us to shape and amplify the continued growth of women's basketball.”
David Levy, co-chief executive of Horizon Sports & Experiences, added: "TNT Sports has a long and storied history of unparalleled coverage and production in both pro and college basketball, and I have witnessed their commitment to excellence firsthand.
"Together, Unrivaled and TNT Sports are committed to growing the league's brand and engaging fans with this exciting new three-on-three competition. By embracing a shared fan-first approach, we are dedicated to delivering a best-in-class viewing experience for the league's inaugural season and beyond."
David Levy and John Skipper led the media rights negotiations, with both having invested in the league.
In July, Unrivaled brought in financial services brand Ally as its founding brand partner.
Ally became the 3x3 competition’s official retail banking partner and the jersey patch partner for all six teams.
Unrivaled’s inaugural season begins on January 17, 2025, intended as a tournament during which stars from the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) can play during their off-season.
In late June, the league brought in Micky Lawler, the former Women’s Tennis Association president, as its first commissioner.
In the role, she is overseeing and managing day-to-day operations for Unrivaled, including launching the league in January, driving direction and strategy, leading partnership initiatives, and overseeing all revenue verticals.
Lawler’s appointment followed the announcement of an investor group that includes Alex Morgan, Megan Rapinoe, Carmelo Anthony, Steve Nash, Gary Vaynerchuck, Ann Sarnoff, John Skipper, and David Levy.
