PHOENIX — The executive director of the WNBA players’ union is concerned the league is being undervalued with the $2.2 billion over 11 years it will receive as part of the NBA’s recently approved media rights deals.
“We have wondered for months how the NBA would value the WNBA in its media rights deal,” Terri Jackson, the executive director of the Women’s National Basketball Players Association, said in a statement released by the union. “With a reportedly $75 billion deal on the table, the league is in control of its own destiny. More precisely, the NBA controls the destiny of the WNBA.”
The NBA’s Board of Governors approved that league’s next media rights deals with Amazon, Disney and NBC at its meeting Tuesday in Las Vegas, moving one giant step closer to finalizing the 11-year agreements that will be worth about $76 billion.
“We look forward to learning how the NBA arrived at a $200 million valuation — if initial reports are accurate or even close,” Jackson said. “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. There is no excuse to undervalue the WNBA again.”
A person familiar with the deal confirmed to The Associated Press that the WNBA would receive about $200 million a year. The person spoke on condition of anonymity Wednesday night because no official announcement had been made. The deal was first reported by The Athletic.