Indy TV station WTHR to air 17 Indiana Fever games for 2024 season
Indy TV station WTHR to air 17 Indiana Fever games for 2024 season
Indiana Fever fans have another option to watch games (and Caitlin Clark) this upcoming season. This local deal will make select games available over the air for free in central Indiana.
Everyone wants in on Caitlin Clark, so business is booming for the Indiana Fever.
One week after the team drafted the former Iowa guard No. 1 overall, the Fever have reached agreement with WTHR-13 in Indianapolis to air 17 games in central Indiana so that they’re available over the air and for free.
Ten of the games will air on WTHR, the NBC affiliate in central Indiana. Then another seven games will air on WALV, a low-powered and less available sister station that is also owned by Tegna.
The network is also working on additional deals to put those broadcasts in other markets throughout the state — beyond central Indiana.
“We’re delighted to build on our strong marketing partnership with the Pacers and Fever and our longstanding commitment to local Indianapolis sports,” said Michael Brouder, GM of WTHR. “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.”
There were multiple Indianapolis stations interested in this opportunity, per league sources. WTHR has been a longtime partner of PS&E.
“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,” PS&E CEO Rick Fuson 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 was negotiated by Dan Granik and David Sternberg of Range Sports, the same duo who helped the Pacers extend their local broadcast deal with Bally Sports Indiana in Sept. 2022.
The Fever will be once again filling the seats on the north baseline for games at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, they’ve opened up the balcony and are expecting sellouts throughout the 2024 WNBA season, which begins on Thursday, May 16 for their home opener against the New York Liberty.
Led by Clark's influence and star power, already at the age of 22, the draft garnered a 2.5 million viewers — a WNBA record for any event — and more than 6,000 fans celebrated at the Fever's draft party. Clark's Instagram following is almost equal to the league's account.
And on draft night, her No. 22 Fever jersey became the best-selling jersey of any draft pick in any league on Fanatics.
So this local broadcast deal is helpful for Fever (and Clark) fans locally.
This news is less than two weeks after the WNBA announced its national broadcast schedule that has 36 of 40 Fever games — the most of any team — appearing on national TV or a streaming platform.
“We'll just keep the momentum going that we've seen in the college game this year when you have, what, 18, 19 million (viewers) for the championship game,” Fever GM Lin Dunn said last week. “We're hoping that that will carry over into the WNBA, not just with Caitlin Clark, but with Cameron Brink and (Kamilla) Cardoso and Angel Reese and the players that were drafted tonight.
“But it's a real key moment in the history of women's basketball, women's sports, to have the visibility that we have.”
Every Pacers game, for example, is available but fans locally must subscribe to either a cable distributor, streaming service or Bally Sports+. This is a different business model — perhaps a trial run for the Pacers too? — and one that new team ownership in the NBA moved to, like Ryan Smith in Salt Lake City and Mat Ishbia in Phoenix.
WTHR is available on cable TV and streaming services like YouTube TV and Hulu Live TV. However, WALV is not.
Last season, 10 Fever games aired on Bally Sports Indiana and another eight were only available on the team’s Facebook change.
Adding Clark changes everything. This is the latest example of Clarkonomics.
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10 Games Available on WTHR
May 16 vs. New York, 7 p.m.
May 22 @ Seattle, 10 p.m.
May 25 @ Las Vegas, 9 p.m.
May 30 vs. Seattle, 7 p.m.
June 10 @ Connecticut, 7 p.m.
June 13 vs. Atlanta, 7 p.m.
July 10 vs. Washington, Noon
August 26 @ Atlanta, 7:30 p.m.
September 8 vs. Atlanta, 4 p.m.
September 19 @ Washington, 7 p.m.
7 Games Available on WALV
June 1 vs. Chicago, 1 p.m.
August 24 @ Minnesota, 8 p.m.
August 28 vs. Connecticut, 7 p.m.
September 1 @ Dallas, 4 p.m.
September 4 vs. Los Angeles, 7 p.m.
September 11 vs. Las Vegas, 7 p.m.
September 15 vs. Dallas, 3 p.m.
