The Chicago Sky released their national broadcast schedule on Thursday. Not including two games on ESPN3, the Sky will have a total of 22 nationally-televised games distributed between a variety of channels, or half of their 44 regular-season matchups. Almost all of their Commissioner's Cup games will be available on national programs, including a prime-time matchup against the New York Liberty on ESPN.
Chicago's regular season opener against the Indiana Fever will be available on a number of platforms, including ABC, ESPN+ and Disney+. While the Sky will be facing a number of squads on the national stage, they will take on the Fever the most on countrywide spotlights. All five matchups of their matchups against their midwestern rival will be broadcast on a national platform. They are followed by a number of postseason contenders who were all listed at least twice on the Sky's national broadcast schedule.
The Sky's 2024 national schedule showcased three summer matchups against the Fever, Liberty and Las Vegas Aces on ABC and CBS. Chicago broke the WNBA's viewership record two weekends in a row in a split series against the Fever, which saw them draw an average of more than 2.25 million viewers or more on national platforms, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.
All eyes on the Sky
Will the Sky rise to the occasion with more eyes on the national stage?
They already put more pressure on themselves to take a giant leap forward when they traded a trio of draft picks for guard Ariel Atkins last month. It added a few proven veterans in guards Courtney Vandersloot, Kia Nurse and Rebecca Allen, who could add to the team's offensive potential and long-range attack. With a revamped backcourt and two stars on the rise in Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso, Chicago will need to make a push for the playoffs and win their more manageable matchups as they have more eyes on them from national outlets.
The WNBA is also one season away from what could be a monumental year in its recent history.
The league agreed to a groundbreaking media rights deal with a number of larger platforms last July. The agreement will begin in the 2026 WNBA season and will include games on Disney, Prime Video and NBCUniversal services. If the Sky can add a few larger names in the 2025 free agency period and continue their upward trajectory, they can add to their case of continuously being put on the national spotlight with the duo of Reese and Cardoso at the helm.