No financial details were disclosed regarding the six-year agreement which begins with WNBA's 2003 season in line with the expiry of the existing deal with free-to-air network NBC.
While ESPN has been involved with the WNBA since the franchise's conception in 1997, the switch of the terrestrial coverage from NBC to ABC is a further indication of Disney's aggressive sports rights acquisition strategy which has seen the company tie up coverage of all the major sports franchises in the US.
As part of the new agreement, cable network ESPN, which is now in 84 million homes, will expand its existing coverage to include a half-hour pre-game show to run before its array of around 30 regular-season and play-off game coverage. For its part, ABC will carry five to 10 regular-season and play-off ties.
The agreement with Disney is a further broadcast boost for the WNBA which recently signed a two-year rights deal with women's network Oxygen Sports for a minimum of 11 games this year and weekly contests and play-offs coverage in 2003.
Val Ackerman, WNBA president, said: "The WNBA's new television package validates the rapidly growing appeal of women's professional sports and proves that women's pro basketball will continue to be a major force on the national sports scene well into the future."
The Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) has secured a new long-term rights deal that will see the coverage switch from current host broadcaster NBC to the Disney-owned networks ABC and existing WNBA partner ESPN.
