As the new NBA broadcast rights package is finalized, the value the WNBA will hold in the reported 11-year, nearly $80 billion package remains unclear. However, as the women’s league rides a wave of popularity and investment, ESPN president John Skipper believes it will more than triple its existing $60 million annual broadcast rights revenue on the new deal.
WNBA ratings have trended upward since 2020’s Bubble season in South Florida, while the emergence of Caitlin Clark as a national newsmaker added another significant layer of attention around the league this season. As a result, Skipper not only believes the league could receive close to $200 million per year under the new terms, but that that number could be a bargain before long.
“The league is very hot right now,” Skipper said. “I think it will be closer to $200 (million) than $120 (million) … if you’re doing a 10-year deal, I think it’s a bargain to get the WNBA for those prices if you’re one of the networks that gets them.”
Earlier this week, Puck News sports correspondent John Ourand reported the WNBA’s place in the new NBA package was largely uncertain. The league already has an agreement with new NBA partner Amazon Prime Video, adding to the complexity.
Ourand also noted the black box that is WNBA rights deals generally, given networks have historically not negotiated separately for those rights and the NBA lumps them into its larger package.
But Skipper emphasized that as the WNBA expands and negotiates a new collective bargaining agreement next year, the precise broadcast revenue doled out to the league is important.
“I don’t think it’s a meaningless number, because the league does have to answer to its owners,” Skipper explained. “It has to have some sort of rationalization or justification for why they’re going to announce what the new deal is. I don’t think they picked it out of the air.”
Skipper being bullish on the WNBA should come as no surprise. He recently partnered with the newly launched Unrivaled 3-on-3 women’s basketball league to help build its business.
Still, jumping from $60 million to $200 million in broadcast revenue would be massive for the relatively young, growing league.
About Brendon Kleen
Brendon is a Media Commentary staff writer at Awful Announcing. He has also covered basketball and sports business at Front Office Sports, SB Nation, Uproxx and more.