WNBA Could Quadruple Media-Rights Fees to $240 Million Annually

June 14, 2024

Caitlin Clark is a force multiplier for attendance, TV ratings—and now WNBA media-rights fees.

Riding the wave that crested with Clark, the WNBA could quadruple its annual rights payout from TV partners, sources tell Front Office Sports.

The 12-team women’s basketball league currently draws a comically low $60 million per year from its TV and streaming deals with Disney, Amazon Prime Video, CBS, and Ion. Under new long-term agreements being negotiated, the WNBA could boost its annual payout to the $240 million range, sources tell me.

The NBA, which owns more than 50% of the 28-year-old league, is leading WNBA media-rights talks as part of its own larger negotiation for $75 billion in long-term media rights going through the 2030s. FOS