Why WNBA Player Salaries Lag Despite The League’s Rising Popularity

The WNBA, led by its rookie star players, Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, has experienced a record-breaking year in most categories including in attendance, viewership and merchandise sales. Three new expansion teams – San Fransisco, Toronto and Portland, and a $2.2 billion 11-year media rights deal with Disney, Amazon Prime and NBC are expected to flush the league with cash in the coming years. Yet, player salaries are low in comparison to the NBA and other sports leagues while the league struggles to become profitable. CNBC’s Tala Hadavi digs into the WNBA’s business model and explores why it may take years before the longest-running women’s sport league becomes profitable.

Chapters:
03:18 Chapter 1: Playing in the WNBA
06:15 Chapter 2: An unusual business model
10:13 Chapter 3: Growth mode
12:24 Chapter 4: Collective bargaining agreement
14:45 Chapter 5: Revenue sharing

Produced and Shot by: Tala Hadavi
Shot and Edited by: Erin Black
Additional Camera: Ryan Baker, Natalie Rice
Animations: Christina Locopo, Jason Reginato
Supervising Producer: Jeniece Pettitt
Additional Footage: Getty Images

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Why WNBA Player Salaries Lag Despite The League’s Rising Popularity