WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert 'Can't Fix' No. 1 Problem for Fans

Sports fans appear to be in agreement on the No. 1 problem they are facing watching sports in 2026.

Streaming costs.

Fans who enjoy the NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, etc. need several different streaming platforms, like Amazon Prime, Netflix, Peacock, YouTube TV, etc. - along with network channels on cable - to watch every game.

WNBA fans, as the 2026 season is underway, are already complaining. Several WNBA games will air on Peacock, Paramount Plus, Apple TV, etc. and more during the 2026 season. Fans have been complaining about the rising costs.

The WNBA commissioner admitted, unfortunately, that she is incapable of fixing this problem for fans.

While Engelbert is in charge of landing the league's broadcasting deals, she made it clear that she's not in charge of the media companies.

That's who decides what this costs for fans.

WNBA commissioner admits she can't fix problem

The WNBA commissioner admitted that she can't fix it.

"I'm not running one of those media companies, so I can't fix the cost thing," Engelbert said. "The WNBA is not unique in this battle. It's the free market that the U.S. has in the media market because there's a lot of participants. That has been accretive to live sports, keeping cable alive, and live sports getting streamers. It's the one thing keeping everybody alive, quite frankly."

Engelbert, meanwhile, admitted that she pays for 18 different subscription services, while still having cable.

She knows it costs a lot.

"I don't disagree with the cost point," she continued. "We're outpacing the NHL and MLB on visibility as far as percentages. That was important. I think it's important to the players that they be shown and their stories be told. Look at our shoulder programming. When I joined the league, no one was doing any shoulder programming. Now every single broadcast partner is doing shoulder programming. They are also doing marketing of the W. During the Kentucky Derby last week, they played a WNBA ad spot."

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This story was originally published May 11, 2026 at 11:12 AM.