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The parent company of WTHR-TV Channel 13 in Indianapolis said Tuesday that it will once again make local broadcasts of Indiana Fever games available to 11 other markets in the Midwest.
The plan from Tysons, Virginia-based Tegna Inc. and Pacers Sports & Entertainment is expected to make the 18-game slate being carried by Channel 13 and its sister station, WALV-CD, available for free to 4.6 million households across five states, including Indiana.
In April, the companies announced a multi-year deal that will keep local broadcasts on the stations following positive reception during the 2024 season in which 17 Fever games were broadcast on the channels. WTHR is Indianapolis’ NBC affiliate and WALV-CD Channel 46 is 13.3 on digital services and known locally for its MeTV programming.
Tegna last year allowed 11 other networks to simulcast the games, including a mix of its own stations and those owned by other groups. Most of the stations on the list are the same as in 2024. The new deal still includes stations in Caitlin Clark’s home state of Iowa as well as neighboring states such as Kentucky, Illinois and Ohio, but it replaces South Bend with Terre Haute.
“We’re incredibly excited to expand our partnership with Tegna and bring Fever basketball to even more fans across the Midwest—free and over the air,” Kelly Krauskopf, Indiana Fever president of basketball and business operations, said in written remarks. “From Indiana to Iowa and beyond, this level of access is unprecedented in our franchise’s history and really reflects the surging popularity of our team, our players and women’s professional basketball.”
The arrangement includes Tegna’s stations in Des Moines and Davenport—WOI and WQAD, respectively—and its WHAS station in Louisville. It also features stations owned by Gray Media, Sinclair Broadcasting, Allen Media, Block Communications Inc. and Coastal Television Broadcasting Group.
“We are thrilled to be part of the incredible success and growing enthusiasm surrounding the WNBA and the Indiana Fever,” Brad Ramsey, senior vice president of Tegna’s media operations said in a statement. “It’s exciting to see our successful partnership with Pacers Sports and Entertainment give an even broader fanbase opportunities to connect with their favorite team and players on a local level.”
In addition to the Indianapolis, Louisville and Iowa stations, the following will be able to simulcast Fever games:
— Allen Media’s WTHI in Terre Haute;
— Block Communications-owned WAND in Champaign, Illinois;
— Coastal Television Broadcasting channel WPBY in Lafayette;
— Gray Media stations WXIX in Cincinnati, WFIE in Evansville, WPTA and WISE in Fort Wayne, and WKYT in Lexington, Kentucky;
— and Sinclair’s WKEF in Dayton, Ohio.
The games that will be broadcast by the stations are as follows, including where they can be watched locally:
May 20: Fever vs. Atlanta, 7 p.m., WALV
May 22: Fever at Atlanta, 7:30 p.m., WTHR
May 28: Fever at Washington, 7:30 p.m., WTHR
June 3: Fever vs. Washington, 7 p.m., WALV
June 10: Fever at Atlanta, 7:30 p.m., WALV
June 17: Fever vs. Connecticut, 7 p.m., WALV
June 19: Fever at Golden State, 10 p.m., WTHR
June 24: Fever at Seattle, 10 p.m., WTHR
July 3: Fever vs. Las Vegas, 7 p.m., WTHR
July 5: Fever vs. Los Angeles, 7 p.m., WTHR
July 9: Fever vs. Golden State, Noon, WTHR
July 16: Fever at New York, 7:30 p.m., WTHR
July 24: Fever vs. Las Vegas, 7 p.m., WTHR
Aug. 5: Fever at Los Angeles, 10 p.m., WTHR
Aug. 7: Fever at Phoenix, 10 p.m., WTHR
Aug. 24: Fever at Minnesota, 7 p.m., WTHR
Sept. 2: Fever at Los Angeles, 10 p.m., WTHR
Sept. 7: Fever at Washington, 3 p.m., WTHR
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