The Houston Comets are coming home, and now Houstonians will have a free way to watch. TEGNA and the Houston Comets announced a multi-year partnership this week making KHOU and KTBU the team's local broadcast home, setting up free over-the-air coverage of the revived WNBA franchise starting with its 2027 season.
According to tegna.com, the agreement calls for locally available Comets games to air free over-the-air on KTBU starting with the 2027 season, with select games simulcast on KHOU. The games will also be simulcast on Space City Home Network, the team's regional sports network, and on the SCHN+ direct-to-consumer streaming service, per the same announcement.
The Houston Chronicle reported that locally available Comets games will air free over the air on KTBU channel 55, with select games simulcast on KHOU channel 11.
A Year-Round Media Push Before Tip-Off
Beyond game broadcasts, KHOU will create new and exclusive Comets content year-round across its newscasts, streaming channel and digital platforms, tegna.com reports. KHOU and TEGNA will also play a key role in advertising and sponsorship sales tied to the team's broadcasts on the two stations, according to the same release. KHOU itself previewed the partnership in a segment titled Houston Comets teaming up with KHOU 11 to bring you WNBA action.
TEGNA isn't new to women's basketball broadcasting. The Chronicle notes that TEGNA, which owns KHOU, also holds local broadcasting rights for the Indiana Fever and Dallas Wings in their respective home markets, giving the company an established playbook for covering WNBA franchises at the local level.
Reviving a Championship Legacy at Toyota Center
The broadcast deal is tied to a bigger story: the franchise's return to Houston after nearly two decades away. The Comets are set to begin play at Toyota Center in 2027, according to the Houston Chronicle. The team traces its roots to one of the WNBA's original eight franchises, which won the league's first four championships before folding in 2008 after twelve years of operation, per tegna.com and Houston Public Media.
The comeback traces back to this past May, when the WNBA and NBA Board of Governors unanimously approved the sale of the Connecticut Sun to a company led by Rockets owner Tilman J. Fertitta, clearing the way for the franchise to relocate to Houston for the 2027 season and be renamed the Comets, according to USA Today. Houston Public Media notes that the move marks the beginning of the franchise's relocation as the revived Houston Comets.
The timing also fits into a broader growth push for the league. Tegna.com reports that the WNBA plans to expand to 18 teams by 2030, part of a wave of investment in the sport that has brought new ownership groups, new markets and now a new local TV push to Houston ahead of the Comets' long-awaited second act.
