You can almost hear Charles Barkley right now. “Y’all petty, man.”
Barkley was talking about critics of rookie Caitlin Clark at the time, but it seems rather apropos regarding the latest news.
WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert a few months ago indicated the league was hoping to double revenue by capitalizing on the popularity of the rookie class.
On Wednesday, reports surfaced that they had done even better. The WNBA is on the verge of quadrupling revenue via a $2.2 billion media rights deal.
Yes, quadrupling.
And wouldn’t you know it? The players are not happy with the deal.
WNBA Players Association Responds To New Media Deal
While the general tenor of the reporting on the new WNBA media deal was positive across all platforms, celebrating strides made by the league, the players union issued a statement complaining about it.
Skyrocketing from $50 million per year – the current annual WNBA media revenue average – to $200 million per year, is apparently not enough.
In fact, the word “undervalued” cropped up.
“We look forward to learning how the NBA arrived at a $200 million valuation—if initial reports are accurate or even close,” Terri Carmichael Jackson, the head of the WNBA Players Association said in a statement.
“Neither the NBA nor the WNBA can deny that in the last few years, we have seen unprecedented growth across all metrics, the players continue to demonstrate their commitment to building the brand, and that the fans keep showing up,” she added.
“There is no excuse to undervalue the WNBA again.”
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Looking A Gift Horse In The Mouth
Listen, if not for the drama between Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, along with Clark being a once-in-a-lifetime athlete, roughly three people would be watching the WNBA right now. Just as they had been for years.
And we’re going to complain about quadrupling revenue?
Just last month, the Washington Post reported that the WNBA and its teams were projected to lose around $50 million this year.
The WNBA has reportedly lost money each year that it has been in existence. In fact, the league’s survival has been completely contingent on the NBA subsidizing them,
And yet, the players association accuses the NBA of undervaluing the WNBA. And complains “the NBA controls the destiny of the WNBA.”
Man, y’all petty.
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