WNBA to cash in with $2.2B TV deal amid historic season
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
As the NBA moves to finalize its next media rights deal, the WNBA is set to cash in on a historic season.
Why it matters: The interest and investment into women's sports does not appear to be slowing down any time soon.
Stunning stat: Scripps Sports president Brian Lawlor posted Wednesday that 15 games this season have averaged 1 million viewers. Before this season, he wrote, the WNBA hasn't had a game average 1 million viewers since the opening night of 2008.
State of play: Terms of the WNBA's next media rights deal, which are being negotiated in concert with the NBA, are beginning to come into focus.
- According to multiple reports, the WNBA will get $2.2 billion over 11 years from Disney, Amazon and Comcast — the same three that are close to landing NBA rights.
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- That would amount to $200 million per year, more than three times the $60 million it currently gets from media partners Disney, Amazon, CBS and Ion. The WNBA is also expected to cut as many as two more media deals on its own that could total $60 million a year, according to The Athletic .
- Ion, the Scripps-owned broadcast network, appears to be a favorite for one of those.
- "We believe we are an important part of the visibility of the league and hope to be able to continue serving WNBA audiences with appointment TV on Friday nights on Ion for many years to come," the company said in a statement.
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Silly Kelly Loeffler, no kaching dream for you.
I watch the WNBA once in a while. I dont think the basketball there is quite as good as they think it is, but it is getting there. They are even developing some meaningful rivalries.