The WNBA’s growing popularity is expected to be rewarded with a huge increase in broadcast revenue, according to The Athletic.
The deal would be part of the NBA’s reported 11-year, $75 billion broadcast deal with Disney, NBC and Amazon. The WNBA’s current media deals, which expire in 2025, generate $50 million per year — the new agreement would quadruple that to $200 million per year for 11 years and allow for additional revenue from other broadcast partners.
The increased earnings have the potential to transform the lives of WNBA athletes. The median (rather than average) salary of $78,000 for WNBA players is just 2% of that of their NBA counterparts. While Caitlin Clark, the league’s highest-profile rookie, will earn $338,000 in salary over the next four years, last season’s NBA Rookie of the Year, Victor Wembanyama, will earn $55 million in his first contract.
Low salaries have forced many WNBA players to play overseas during the offseason, a proposition seen as much riskier since Brittney Griner was jailed in Russia and Israel went to war.
The deal comes as the WNBA is experiencing a resurgence in popularity. Clark and Angel Reese have rekindled a rivalry that began in college, and are battling it out for rookie of the year honors. Midway through the season, the average attendance is 9,311, a level not seen since the 1990s. Perhaps most notably, the television ratings are impressive: ESPN said Viewership increased by 183% compared to last season.