The next round of NBA rights negotiations will not include the WNBA.
League chiefs are closing in on an 11-year, $76 billion deal with ESPN, Amazon and NBC.
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The WNBA is expected to make at least $180 million per year as part of the new deal.
But this may be the last time the two leagues are bundled together for TV companies, for Ben Strauss of the Washington Post.
He cites industry experts who say the WNBA is unlikely to be tied to the NBA in the future.
“Women’s sport wants responsibility; they want their growth projections to matter,” said Laura Gentile, a former marketing executive at ESPN.
“(The companies) recognize the growing value of the WNBA, regardless of whether they place a specific value on its rights,” another source told Strauss.
The WNBA has experienced a surge in popularity thanks in large part to No. 1 pick Caitlin Clark.
But there are plenty of other stars earning their place in the spotlight and viewer numbers and audiences are skyrocketing.
With a planned expansion to 14 teams and a new collective bargaining agreement next year, the regular and postseason schedules could also be expanded.
ESPN analyst Monica McNutt addressed her recent on-air feud with Stephen A. Smith over the WNBA.
McNutt challenged Stephen A. on his commitment to covering women’s basketball for the “past three years.”
“Who talks more about the WNBA, who talks more about women’s sports than First Take?” Stephen A. became enraged during the violent argument.
“Stephen A., respectfully, with your platform, you could have been doing this three years ago if you wanted,” McNutt retorted.
McNutt broke her silence on the discussion with a brief post on X yesterday, adding that she and Stephen A. were “all good.”
The former college basketball star spoke with Jon Stewart on Monday night to discuss the fallout from the “big viral moment.”
“My point is that this narrative that it’s the league against Caitlin Clark is absolutely false,” she said. The daily program.
What does the new TV deal mean for the NBA?
By US Sun Assistant Sports Editor Damian Burchardt.
The new television rights deal promises to be a big win for NBA players.
The league is expected to more than double revenue from its media partners, pocketing around $6.9 billion per year, which will inevitably lead to a huge salary cap increase in 2025-26.
This will cause the value of players’ contracts to skyrocket.
Projected numbers suggest we could see the first $100 million per year deal being signed soon.
Boston Celtics All-Star Jaylen Brown is currently set to earn the highest single-season salary in NBA history, bringing in $65.1 million in 2028-29.
It seems like basketball fans would be on the losing side of the fight if the NBA and TNT actually split.
Inside the NBA is a unique sports entertainment program, as evidenced by ESPN’s continued failure to create its own version of the show in recent years.
The NBA won’t be the same without Kenny and Ernie trying to make sense of Shaq and Chuck’s endless fights every Tuesday night.
“It’s unfair to the women who have been there building this league so far, so Caitlin Clark’s popularity could take it to the next level.
“By the end of [First Take] transmission, the tone changed.
“I needed to put my foot down a little.
“While Caitlin is fantastic and I think she will have an incredible career in the WNBA, there are women who deserved coverage before her arrival.”
“And I will not be silenced when it comes to this,” McNutt added, to applause from the Daily Show audience.
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