Sky preseason game to be streamed after outcry

The Chicago Sky's preseason game against the N.Y. Liberty at Wintrust Arena tonight will be streamed on the WNBA League Pass following "outcry from fans and players" that the game would not be available anywhere. Preseason broadcast access "quickly became a contentious topic" for the WNBA as momentum around women's sports grows. After the app "incorrectly stated" the entire opening slate of preseason games would be available via WNBA League Pass, fans "began to take the issue into their own hands." Minnesota Lynx fan Alli Schneider livestreamed "the entirety of Friday’s game" against the Sky on X, earning more than 250,000 active viewers. Providing livestreams or broadcasts of preseason games is a "relatively new venture" both for the WNBA and the Sky. While the entire NBA preseason is broadcast through local affiliates and League Pass, the WNBA selected two preseason games to offer in 2023 -- its annual exhibition game in Canada and the first preseason game of the No. 1 draft pick. There were no preseason games streamed in 2022 (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 5/6).