Women’s NBA Has No Cities, but It Has a Television Deal
NBC has signed a five-year deal to televise games from the Women’s NBA, an eight-team league to begin play next summer, NBA Commissioner David Stern and NBC Sports President Dick Ebersol announced Thursday.
Stern, who said the WNBA will begin its 10-week summer season next June 21, said he is still negotiating for a cable TV deal as well. Ebersol said NBC will televise a Saturday game of the week.
Of a rival women’s league, the Palo Alto-based American Basketball League--which plans to begin play next basketball season--Stern seemed untroubled by an ABL restriction that prohibits its players from also playing in the WNBA.
“Those who choose not to sign with us can go on [with their lives],” he said. “The WNBA will prosper nonetheless.”
Stern said there will be no announcements soon as to which NBA cities will have women’s teams.
“We felt it best to wait until after the Olympics,” he said.
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