Two local television stations owned by over-the-air broadcaster TEGNA will air select games from the Indiana Fever’s upcoming season, the company announced on Monday.
The deal comes less than a week after basketball superstar Caitlin Clark was drafted by the Indiana Fever fresh from her captivating college basketball season.
TEGNA stations in Indianapolis will offer a total of 17 games from the Indiana Fever this upcoming season. The games will bounce between WTHR (Channel 13, NBC) and WALV-CD (Channel 46, Me TV), TEGNA said. WALV-CD is also carried on a full-power digital sub-channel of WTHR, and both stations are offered on cable TV platforms.
The Indiana Fever is owned by Herb Simon and operated through his Pacers Sports & Entertainment group. It is co-owned with the Indiana Pacers, the professional men’s basketball team.
“So many new fans are tuning in to watch the world’s best basketball players compete in the WNBA, and the Fever have built a roster of incredible young talent that has caught the attention of basketball fans all over the globe,” Rick Fuson, the CEO of Pacers Sports & Entertainment, said in a statement. “TEGNA and WTHR have been amazing local partners for years, and we are excited that more fans than ever before will get the chance to watch these amazing athletes play.”
The deal with TEGNA continues a trend of over-the-air broadcasters securing lucrative rights to college and professional-level sports. Women’s professional sports in particular has seen a surge in interest over the past few years, with broadcasters like the E. W. Scripps Company and Gray Television snatching up rights to certain games for their local television outlets.
TEGNA now joins the group with its deal to broadcast Indiana Fever games on local television. The WNBA has plans to air the majority of the Fever’s regular-season games on national television as well.
“We’re delighted to build on our strong marketing partnership with the Pacers and Fever and our longstanding commitment to local Indianapolis sport,” Michael Brouder, the General Manager at WTHR, said on Monday. “Our station has always been at the center of the biggest local events that capture the spirit of Hoosiers far and wide. Our entire team in front of and behind the camera will be helping the Fever connect with our community and fans like never before.”
The following games will air on WTHR and WALV during the upcoming Fever’s basketball season:
- May 16 vs. New York, 7 p.m. on WTHR
- May 22 at Seattle, 10 p.m. on WTHR
- May 25 at Las Vegas, 9 p.m. on WTHR
- May 30 vs. Seattle, 7 p.m. on WTHR
- June 1 vs. Chicago, 1 p.m. on WALV
- June 10 at Connecticut, 7 p.m. on WTHR
- June 13 vs. Atlanta, 7 p.m. on WTHR
- July 10 vs. Washington, Noon on WTHR
- August 24 at Minnesota, 8 p.m. on WALV
- August 26 at Atlanta, 7:30 p.m. on WTHR
- August 28 vs. Connecticut, 7 p.m. on WALV
- September 1 at Dallas, 4 p.m. on WALV
- September 4 vs. Los Angeles, 7 p.m. on WALV
- September 8 vs. Atlanta, 4 p.m. on WTHR
- September 11 vs. Las Vegas, 7 p.m. on WALV
- September 15 vs. Dallas, 3 p.m. on WALV
- September 19 at Washington, 7 p.m. on WTHR
