As the NBA’s new media rights deal has come into focus, so too has the WNBA’s.
According to The Athletic‘s Mike Vorkunov, the WNBA is set to receive $2.2 billion over the course of the NBA’s recently approved 11-year media rights deal, which will go into effect during the 2025-26 season. Just like the NBA, the WNBA will have game packages with Disney, NBC and Amazon — although it remains to be seen whether Warner Bros. Discovery will be successful in exercising its matching rights.
The WNBA’s portion of the deal will pay the league an average of $200 million per year, although Vorkunov reports that there is “an opening to earn more over that period.” He also reports “there is an agreement between the league and the media partners to revisit the rights deals with good faith talks after three years that could reprice them to reflect the league’s growth.”
The WNBA’s new deal marks a significant increase from the $50 million it currently receives annually via partnerships with Disney, Ion, CBS and Amazon. The league also expects that it will sell two others rights packages in addition to the ones it has already agreed to, which could bring in an additional $60 million annually.
The WNBA’s negotiations couldn’t have come at a better time for the league as it rides a wave of record ratings and attendance that have followed the entry of superstar rookie Caitlin Clark earlier this year. General interest in the league has never been higher, thanks to stars like A’ja Wilson, Aliyah Boston, Sabrina Ionescu, Breanna Stewart, Alyssa Thomas, Angel Reese and, of course, Clark.
In April, WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert told CNBC that she had hoped to at least “double” the league’s previous rights fees. As it turns out, the league is set to at least quadruple its previous media deal, with the opportunity for even more money to come in down the line.
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.