Current:Home > InvestReport: WNBA agrees to $2.2B, 11-year media rights deal with ESPN, Amazon, NBC-InfoLens
Report: WNBA agrees to $2.2B, 11-year media rights deal with ESPN, Amazon, NBC
View Date:2024-12-23 14:47:35
WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert actually set her sights too low in April when she said she wanted the league to double its current national media rights fees.
The current national media contracts, though the 2025 season, average about $50 million annually. The WNBA's new deal with ESPN, Amazon and NBC, approved Tuesday, will pay the league about $2.2 billion over the next 11 years for an average of $200 million a year — and it could be even more lucrative, The Athletic reported.
Call it part of the Caitlin Clark Effect. Engelbert made her comment in anticipation of a huge growth in popularity for the WNBA on the eve of the league draft, when the Indiana Fever made the college phenom out of Iowa the No. 1 pick.
The WNBA partnered with the NBA, which negotiated the contracts as part of its own rights talks resulting in an agreement with Disney, NBC and Amazon on approximately $75 billion over 11 years. The NBA's board of governors approved the new terms, which are still pending.
The WNBA's current media partners are Disney, Ion, CBS and Amazon. The Athletic reported that in addition to the next deal, the WNBA could negotiate with new partners on two other separate rights packages to total another $60 million annually.
That new total could pay the WNBA more than six times its current fees. The league and its media partners also have agreed to revisit the rights contracts in three years to measure the value against the league's growth, The Athletic reported.
The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.
veryGood! (22)
Related
- New Mexico secretary of state says she’s experiencing harassment after the election
- Kimora Lee Simmons says 'the kids and I are all fine' after house caught fire in LA
- 76ers’ Kelly Oubre Jr. scoffs at questions about legitimacy of his injury, calls hit-and-run serious
- Massachusetts lawmakers overcome efforts to block money for temporary shelters for migrant families
- 10 Trendy Bags To Bring to All of Your Holiday Plans
- Watch this mom's excitement over a special delivery: her Army son back from overseas
- Large part of U.S. Osprey that crashed in Japan found with 5 more crew members' bodies inside
- Orlando Magic racking up quality wins as they surge in NBA power rankings
- Republican Vos reelected as Wisconsin Assembly speaker despite losing seats, fights with Trump
- Julia Roberts Reveals the Simple rules She Sets for Her Teenage Kids
Ranking
- Mother of Man Found Dead in Tanning Bed at Planet Fitness Gym Details His Final Moments
- Worried about job cuts heading into 2024? Here's how to prepare for layoff season
- International Ice Hockey Federation makes neck guards mandatory after Adam Johnson death
- At least 85 confirmed killed by Nigerian army drone attack, raising questions about such mistakes
- Judith Jamison, acclaimed Alvin Ailey American dancer and director, dead at 81
- Judge drops felony charges against ex-elections official in Virginia
- Students around the world suffered huge learning setbacks during the pandemic, study finds
- Father of slain Italian woman challenges men to be agents of change against femicide
Recommendation
-
Does the NFL have a special teams bias when hiring head coaches? History indicates it does
-
American tourist killed in shark attack in Bahamas, police say
-
'How to Dance in Ohio' is a Broadway musical starring 7 autistic actors
-
76ers’ Kelly Oubre Jr. scoffs at questions about legitimacy of his injury, calls hit-and-run serious
-
Get well, Pop. The Spurs are in great hands until your return
-
At COP28 summit, activists and officials voice concern over Gaza’s environment, devastated by war
-
New North Carolina congressional districts challenged in federal court on racial bias claims
-
Big city mosquitoes are a big problem — and now a big target