WNBL 24/25 Key Dates
Entering its 45th season, the WNBL today released the key dates and season structure for the upcoming 24-25 WNBL season.
KEY DATES
18 September 2024 Start of pre-season
30 October 2024 Round 1
16 February 2025 Last day of regular season
22 February – 2 March 2025 Semi-Finals (Best of 3)
5, 8, 12 March 2025 Grand Final (Best of 3)
SEASON STRUCTURE
The WNBL will run a full home and away season, with all Finals a best of three. Teams will play each other three times (21 games per team), meaning an 84-game regular season. Semi-Finals will be a 1 v 4, 2 v 3 structure, played as a best of three, with the higher placed team having the home court advantage – likewise the Grand Final.
BROADCAST
The Cygnett WNBL will be watchable by more sports fans than ever before after the League extended its partnership with ESPN, and expanded its broadcast arrangement with Channel 9 to include a new free-to-air deal, with marquee games to be available on 9Go, in High Definition (HD).
ESPN is widely regarded as the home of the basketball, and the WNBL is pleased to continue to deliver ‘WNBL Wednesday’s on ESPN’ and all Finals games. ESPN will also continue to provide strong coverage for fans through social and digital.
ESPN’s WNBL programming will also be available via Foxtel, Kayo Sports, and Sky Sports NZ.
The marquee 12:30pm Sunday afternoon game will be shown on 9Go and marks the first time the WNBL has been on a free-to-air main channel in five years. All remaining games will be available on Nine’s free digital channel, 9Now.
Last season the WNBL’s broadcast audience was the highest it has ever been, with a collective reach of over 2.6 million, up 23% from the previous season. With the additional visibility and exposure through 9Go for the upcoming season, it is expected this will increase again.
Head of WNBL, Christy Collier-Hill, is excited by the new deal.
“This is really exciting for the WNBL. It provides us with an enormous opportunity to really lift the profile of the league, the Clubs, and the incredible athletes that are part of it with two marquee games a week.
“The WNBL has some of the best basketball players in the world – Australian Opals and Gangurrus, WNBA and international superstars. We want as many people as possible to be able to see these amazing athletes in action on and off the court, and this new broadcast deal provides us with that opportunity.”
FIXTURE
The full fixture is set to be released on Monday 2nd September.