All 60 games of the 2020 Chemist Warehouse WBNBL season will be shown live across Australia, thanks to a new deal between Basketball Australia, the Foxtel Group and the ABC.
Fox Sports will broadcast four live games per week on Foxtel and Kayo, at 7pm Thursday, 5pm Saturday, and 1pm and 3pm Sunday, as of round two of the fixture with three games during round five. While the ABC will simulcast on both its primary channel and ABC iview, with 5pm Saturday and 3pm Sunday games.
In addition to streaming the games that will be broadcast on Foxtel, Kayo will also stream live all remaining games of the 2020 season, which will involve multi-camera and expert commentary.
Earlier this month, Basketball Australia announced that in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 Chemist Warehouse WNBL season would be played exclusively out of a North Queensland hub from 11 November to 20 December 20.
Announcing Basketball Australia’s broadcast win, chief executive Jerril Rechter AM said the broadcast agreement would generate “more exposure than ever before” for Australian women’s basketball.
“Having all 60 games of the 2020 season shown live across Australia will provide a platform to showcase one of [the] world’s leading basketball leagues featuring Australia’s best established and emerging athletes,” Rechter said.
“This high-profile visibility across Australia will help build upon the popularity and growth of women’s basketball and inspire a whole new generation.”
Basketball Australia head of women in basketball Lauren Jackson AO said the broadcast agreement provides a platform for Australians to become fans of the country’s leading basketballers.
“The Australian Opals and our under 19 women’s team are both ranked world number two and this broadcast arrangement will enable all Australians to witness the skill, strength and athleticism of our players,” Jackson said.
“The 2020 Chemist Warehouse WNBL season will double as important preparation for the Australian Opals ahead of the Tokyo Olympics and the 2022 FIBA Basketball World Cup which will be hosted by Sydney.
“With all the opportunities that this season presents us, being able to broadcast all our games live across the nation was at the top of the list. This is a wonderful outcome for Women’s Basketball in Australia, and we are thankful for the support of both Foxtel and the ABC.”
Featured image credit: Getty Images via Basketball Australia/Mark Metcalfe
