As teams in the Women's National Basketball Association prepare to kick off their 2026 preseason games this weekend, several of the league’s most prominent franchises are finalizing new broadcast and commercial agreements.
Swedish audio streaming giant Spotify has landed its first US sports team partnership, securing a new deal with the New York Liberty.
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The new multi-year deal sees Spotify become the official music partner of the NY Liberty days before the start of the WNBA’s 2026 preseason this weekend (April 25).
As part of the partnership, Spotify will gain a prominent presence at home stadium Barclays Center, including on signage, digital touchpoints, and on the court, while also sponsoring several events throughout the season.
As well as sharing stories from players about their musical tastes, Spotify will launch an official playlist that will be refreshed throughout the season, featuring songs produced by the Liberty alongside fan-favorite tracks.
To mark the launch of the partnership, Spotify will host a block party at Liberty’s first home match at Barclays Center on May 8.
The new deal marks the first US sports team sponsorship that Spotify has secured, having most recently announced a global content collaboration with the ATP men’s top tennis tour last November.
The partnership started just before the season-ending ATP Finals in Turin, Italy, in November, which saw episodic content appear on Spotify, and has continued through the 2026 season.
The streaming giant’s biggest partnership to date is its front-of-shirt and stadium naming rights deal with Spanish soccer giants Barcelona, running through 2030. It has previously partnered with several esports organizations, including ESL Gaming, League of Legends, and Overwatch League.
Meanwhile, the Victory+ OTT platform has become the exclusive local streaming home for fellow WNBA franchise Minnesota Lynx as part of a multi-year agreement.
Starting with the 2026 season, fans across the Minneapolis/St. Paul region and surrounding markets will gain free-to-air access to a minimum of 18 regular-season Lynx games, as well as three pre-season games and shoulder programming.
Coverage will start with the Lynx’s preseason game against the Washington Mystics this weekend (April 25).
The deal marks the first WNBA agreement secured by Victory+, with the free- ad-supported streaming TV channel most prominently securing a 57-game slate of NWSL soccer matches beginning with the current 2026 season, and following that up with League One Volleyball rights in December.
Most recently, it announced a new multi-year partnership with the iconic Dallas Cowboys NFL franchise to add to its local portfolio that includes the Dallas Stars NHL ice hockey franchise and the Texas Rangers MLB baseball team.
Elsewhere in the WNBA, the Golden State Valkyries have renewed their local broadcast partnership with CBS Bay Area, the regional broadcaster of Paramount-owned CBS, for a second season.
The renewal builds on the pair’s agreement, which saw CBS Bay Area serve as the team’s official media partner for its inaugural 2025 season, with the broadcaster continuing to cover all aspects of the team’s second season, including airing ‘The Valkyries Experience,’ a weekly behind-the-scenes show with the team's players and coaches.
Viewers will also be able to watch certain locally televised games on CBS Bay Area through the KPIX, KPYX, and KION services and CBS Sacramento via the KOVR and KMAX services.
Additionally, CBS Bay Area will broadcast the Valkyries' pregame and postgame studio shows with exclusive team content and studio analysis at halftime for all locally televised Valkyries' games.
The Valkyries are set to host Seattle Storm this weekend in a preseason game before starting their regular season against the same team on May 8.
