TNT broadcasts the unrivaled women's 3×3 league

MINNEAPOLIS – Games in the new unrivaled 3-on-3 women's basketball league will be broadcast on TNT and its sports platforms, it was announced Wednesday.

The multi-year partnership will see more than 45 games broadcast starting with the inaugural season, which begins in January. Matchups are shown three nights per week with twice-weekly games on TNT on Mondays and Fridays. Games played on Saturday will be shown on truTV.

The games begin on January 17th and will be played in Miami.

The league consists of 30 of the best women's basketball players on six teams and was co-founded by Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart.

“I mean, being able to have a network like that supporting us, especially in the first year, I think is just a huge testament to the growth of women's basketball right now and how much it's growing,” Collier told The Associated Press at Shootaround before Game 3 of the WNBA Finals on Thursday.

In addition to Stewart and Collier, the league will also feature Brittney Griner, Chelsea Gray, Arike Ogunbowale, Jewell Loyd, Kelsey Plum, Rhyne Howard, Kahleah Copper, Jackie Young, Angel Reese, Dearica Hamby, Kayla McBride, Marina Mabrey and Satou Sabally, Allisha Gray, Natasha Cloud, Skylar Diggins-Smith, Rickea Jackson, Courtney Vandersloot, Brittney Sykes, Shakira Austin, DiJonai Carrington and Tiffany Hayes.

The league also had discussions with ESPN, Amazon, ION and CW.

TNT will have a studio show on at least one of the two nights games air.

“Being on TNT for two of the three nights is really important, not only to help grow this league, but also for the women who play in it,” said former Turner president David Levy, who is co-founder and co-founder -CEO of Horizon Sports & Experiences and helped secure the media rights deal.

Unrivaled president Alex Bazzell said the television appearances were well received by the players.

“I think there’s a lot of nostalgia that comes with it for the athletes,” Bazzell said. “We have a commitment to each partner that they will be someone they are proud of, and I think first and foremost they are really proud of this partnership. I got a lot of text messages saying our athletes are excited.”

The salaries in the new league will be in the six-figure range. Compensation was crucial for the players, many of whom spent their offseasons overseas to supplement their WNBA income.

The WNBA's average base salary is about $130,000, with top stars able to earn more than $500,000 through salaries, marketing deals, a seasonal tournament and bonuses. Many of the players will also have an equity stake in the league.

The league will run for eight weeks, with the 30 players divided into six teams. The teams play two games per week, with the contests taking place on a court about two-thirds the size of a WNBA court. The teams remain the same throughout the season.