WNBA Secures Landmark $2.2 Billion Media Rights Deal Amid Surge in Popularity
Bollywood Fever: The WNBA has experienced a significant surge in popularity, which is now paying off with a historic media rights deal. According to Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic, the league has inked a new media rights package worth approximately $2.2 billion over 11 years. This deal translates to about $200 million annually, a substantial increase from the WNBA’s current media deals with Disney, Ion, CBS, and Amazon, which total $50 million annually.
The new package was negotiated by the NBA as part of its own extensive rights talks, resulting in agreements with Disney, NBC, and Amazon on 11-year contracts valued at approximately $75 billion. Each network—ESPN, NBC, and Amazon—will have its own WNBA package.
While the NBA’s board of governors reportedly approved the deals earlier this week, public confirmation has been delayed due to Warner Bros. Discovery, the parent company of TNT. Warner Bros. Discovery, a current rights holder, claims it has matching rights for an NBA rights package but has not yet decided whether to exercise those rights.
The WNBA anticipates selling two additional rights packages, aiming to generate another $60 million annually from these deals. This strategy allows the league to capitalize on the recent increased interest in women’s basketball, driven in part by stars like Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, and the 2024 WNBA rookie class.
Protective measures have been included in the agreements to ensure the deals remain fair as the sport grows. The media partners have agreed to revisit the deals in “good faith talks” after three years to potentially reprice them based on the league’s growth.
The WNBA has already broken several records this season. Over 400,000 fans attended games in May, the highest attendance in 26 years. Viewership has also significantly increased with the arrival of Clark and Reese. Across ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, and CBS, WNBA games are averaging 1.32 million viewers, nearly triple last season’s average of 462,200 viewers.
This landmark media rights deal underscores the growing popularity and financial potential of the WNBA, setting the stage for continued expansion and success in the coming years.
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