The growth of the WNBA to become a major television attraction has had many consequences on the business side of the sport.
The final domino fell Monday when the WNBA Players Association announced it would exercise its option to terminate the collective bargaining agreement effective October 31, 2025.
The league and players’ union had the right to walk away. The decision comes as no surprise after the playoffs saw viewership increase 142 percent before the WNBA Finals even began, according to ESPN.
The WNBA semifinals alone averaged 850,000 viewers, according to ESPN, nearly double last season.
This represents the highest viewership the league has enjoyed since its inaugural season in 1997. Indiana Fever recruit Caitlin Clark has generated widespread interest in women’s soccer since her college career at Iowa. One of its recent playoff games alone generated 2.5 million viewers.
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Clark was named Rookie of the Year on October 3.
With the league reportedly losing around $40 million this season, a new media rights deal will take effect in 2026, with the promise of making the league profitable for the first time. Now that the players have withdrawn from the CBA, a new deal will need to be negotiated before then.
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At the heart of the negotiations is a question: how should stakeholders and owners distribute the new, larger revenues?
More news: Chicago Sky Rookie Angel Reese Has Straight Opinion on WNBA Salary
Players have been upfront about their salaries. Chicago Sky rookie Angel Reese explained the limitations of his salary on his Instagram account, as noted by ESPN:
“I just hope you all know,” Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese said Wednesday on Instagram Live, “the WNBA doesn’t pay my bills at all. I don’t even think they pay a Literally from my bills.
Reese disclosed monthly rent of $8,000 per month, or $96,000 per year, eclipsing the $73,439 she earned this season as a rookie with Sky.
She jokingly added: “I’m living beyond my means!”
In July, the WNBA reached an 11-year media rights deal with Disney, Amazon Prime and NBC. According to the Associated Press, the deal made broadcast partners responsible for production and marketing commitments, valuing the league’s media rights at $200 million a year.
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The current media rights agreement took effect on January 17, 2020, under the previous media rights agreement, valued at $60 million per year. If neither party had withdrawn before November 1, the CBA would have been extended until October 2027.
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