• Loading stock data...
Saturday, August 9, 2025
Tuned In returns to NYC on September 16. Hear from the biggest names in sports media. Click here to get your spot

WNBA Commish Wants New Media-Rights Deal to Double Old One

  • The league currently makes $60 million from its media-rights package.
  • ‘FOS’ has previously reported that the WNBA could go it alone in the rights market.
Syndication: The Des Moines Register

Cathy Engelbert is betting big on the WNBA’s next media-rights deal. 

Speaking on CNBC a day after Iowa fell to undefeated South Carolina in the NCAA championship game, the WNBA commissioner is already talking up the impact Caitlin Clark will bring to her league a week before she officially joins it. 

“We hope to at least double our rights fees,” Engelbert said. “Women’s sports rights fees have been undervalued for too long, so we have this enormous opportunity at a time where the media landscape is changing so much. We’re really excited to get out in the marketplace.”

The WNBA currently earns about $60 million annually from its TV and streaming deals with Disney, Amazon Prime Video, and several other companies. It’s currently in a joint negotiation with the NBA and Walt Disney Co., which owns ABC and ESPN, but it could break off and seek its own deal, Front Office Sports’ Michael McCarthy reported last month

At that time, former ESPN executive John Kosner predicted to FOS that the league is trying to push its annual media-rights payout between $80 million and $100 million. But that was before Clark’s record-breaking rampage through March Madness, where she produced some of the most-watched ESPN telecasts ever.

On CNBC, Engelbert said she is aware of player complaints over compensation and traveling on commercial flights instead of charter and hopes the new media-rights deal helps address them. 

“I do think we’re setting this league up not just for the next three to five years with this next media-rights deal but for the next 30,” she said.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Dec 14, 2019; Philadelphia, PA, USA; President Donald Trump wave during the second quarter of the game between the Navy Midshipmen and the Army Black Knights at Lincoln Financial Field

‘Political Gold’: Trump Putting His Stamp on College Sports 

Trump has embraced executive action on hot-button college sports issues.
Chad Ochocinco

Shannon Sharpe, Chad Ochocinco Settle $20 Million Defamation Suit 

It’s the second multimillion-dollar lawsuit Sharpe has settled in recent weeks.

WNBA Struggling to Prevent Repeat Dildo Incidents

The league appears to have no answers to the copycats plaguing games.
NC State

NC State ‘Cardiac Pack’ Team Loses NCAA Suit for NIL Back Pay

The 1983 team was among college basketball’s greatest Cinderella stories. 

Featured Today

Inked Under Anesthesia: Athletes Getting $50,000 Tattoos

High-end studios, elite artist teams, and hours under anesthesia.
Coco Gauff at New York Liberty
August 2, 2025

How the New York Liberty Became the Hottest Ticket in Town

Once banished to the burbs, the Libs are now Brooklyn’s marquee attraction.
Las Vegas sign
July 29, 2025

College Sports Embracing Vegas After Years of Cold Shoulder

The Big Ten became the latest newcomer to Sin City.
2000, Jupiter, FL, USA; FILE PHOTO; Montreal Expos pitcher Hideki Irabu in action on the mound against the New York Mets at Roger Dean Stadium during Spring Training
July 28, 2025

Dead Sports Franchises Are Alive and Well on Twitter

The Expos, Sonics, and Whalers have active social media accounts.
NFL Network host Kimmi Chex gives Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor a draft do-over during the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft on Friday, April 25, 2025, at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Taylor was drafted in 2020 when the draft was held virtually due to COVID.

ESPN Reaches NFL Draft Rights Extension Following Mega-Deal

The network will continue to broadcast the draft through 2030, say sources.
August 4, 2025

NFL’s Hall of Fame Game Draws 6.9M TV Viewers, Highest Since 2021

The Lions and Chargers played this year’s game in Canton, Ohio.
Apr 2, 2023; Inglewood, CA, USA; Roman Reigns during Wrestlemania Night 2 at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit:
August 6, 2025

ESPN Strikes $1.6 Billion Streaming Deal With WWE

WWE’s premium live events are migrating from NBC’s Peacock in 2026.
Sponsored

Hottest Matchups Following NFL Schedule Release

The NFL released the 2025 regular-season schedule, and anticipation is already building in the ticket marketplace with four months to go.
Jul 15, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) reacts to the crowd as they take on the Connecticut Sun in the first quarter at TD Garden.
July 30, 2025

WNBA Viewership Up Across All Networks Compared to 2024

Non-Fever games are up 37% compared to the full 2024 season.
NASCAR Cup Series driver Bubba Wallace (23) celebrates winning Sunday, July 27, 2025, the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
July 30, 2025

Amazon, TNT Post Near-Identical NASCAR Ratings in Debut Season

The cable channel is a new media-rights partner this season.
Jul 27, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Sky guard Kia Nurse (11) drives to the basket against Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham (8) during the second half at United Center.
July 29, 2025

Fever-Sky Draws 1.5M Viewers Despite Clark, Reese Absences

Clark and Reese both missed the game due to injury.
July 29, 2025

WBD Restructuring Shows What’s Old Is New Again

WBD will become Warner Bros. and Discovery Global as two separate entities.