Unrivaled, the 3-on-3 professional women’s basketball league cofounded by WNBA stars Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier, tips off Friday. The league’s launch comes at an opportune time in women’s basketball given the steep rise in viewership and attendance of the sport, both in the WNBA and NCAA.
But launching a new pro sports league is a risk. There are numerous examples of ambitious leagues that were unable to sustain their business—the XFL being the most prominent. Even the WNBA just recently found its footing after financial issues threatened its long-term existence.
Unlike other upstarts, Unrivaled’s pool of players have established fan bases since all 36 players in its inaugural season are from the WNBA. According to Horizon Sports and Experiences CEO David Levy, whose firm was one of the initial lead investors in Unrivaled, the player pool is the league’s secret sauce.
“Why I think this is going to be successful is because the names on the back of the jerseys are the best of the best,” Levy told Front Office Sports.
Levy, the former president of Turner who reportedly helped facilitate the league’s multiyear media-rights deal with TNT, said a base of WNBA stars not only helps in bringing viewership, but also in securing additional investors and brand partnerships such as Under Armour, Samsung Galaxy, and Sephora. Its slew of investors includes athletes such as Alex Morgan and Giannis Antetokounmpo, as well as firms like Avenue Sports Fund and the Black Economic Alliance Venture Fund.
While Levy stayed mum on his target ROI date for the Unrivaled investment, he did make it clear it’s “way ahead” of the initial forecasts given by president Alex Bazzell in early 2024. Given the league’s increase to a 36-player pool from an original announcement of 30, it seems its budget has increased over the last few months.
Missing Piece
Noticeably absent from Unrivaled is Caitlin Clark, who, FOS reported in October, the league attempted to lure with “a Lionel Messi–like” deal. Levy did not shy away from acknowledging Clark’s absence as he mentioned the importance of star power in the league’s success this year and moving forward.
“As Alex has said multiple times, if she’s interested, we’re interested,” Levy told FOS. “How could we not? I think she’ll add a lot to the league. But I also think the league is going to be very successful because the league is not built on one name.”
While Unrivaled has left the door open for Clark to join in the future, it has already secured an investment from college star JuJu Watkins and signed NIL deals with Paige Bueckers and Flau’jae Johnson, all of whom are expected to join once they turn pro.
