WNBA signs massive new media deal but could it truly be a sweet steal?

The league is booming more than ever thanks to Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, and even bigger bucks are coming soon.

Apr 15, 2024; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark pose for photos before the 2024 WNBA Draft at Brooklyn Academy of Music. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports / Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Thanks to an influx of young, exuberant talent to a sports league that not so recently was thought to be rejected and tossed once and for all, the WNBA has, ahem, rebounded significantly.

That was evident by the incredible media rights deal the league signed Wednesday:

BREAKING: Reports are saying the #WNBA new Media Deal will pay them $2.2 Billion over the next 11 years. That is an average of $200 Million per season. The league is currently making around $60 Million per season. If this is accurate, that's more than 300% increase. Was it…

— Storm Chasers (@WNBAStormChaser) July 17, 2024

"The league is set to receive roughly $2.2 billion over the next 11 years in rights fees in its new deals — an average of $200 million a year — with an opening to earn more over that period, according to league sources briefed on the contracts.

The WNBA’s current media deals, valued at roughly $50 million annually, are set to expire after the 2025 season, with Disney, Ion, CBS and Amazon as its media partners. The new rights fees could have as much as six times multiple of the league’s current media rights fees since the new deals leave room for the WNBA to bring in new partners. The league anticipates it will sell two other rights packages in addition to the ones it has already made agreements for, and projects to bring in another $60 million annually in total in those additional deals.

That would help the WNBA ride the wave of increased interest and media spending in the league and across women’s sports. The NWSL began a new media rights deal this year that is supposed to pay it $240 million over four years. The WNBA’s next contracts could surpass that annually, even outpacing WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert’s hopes for the league. She said earlier this year she wanted to at least double the WNBA’s rights fees.

The WNBA will exceed that. It has also built in some measure of protection if the WNBA keeps flourishing and its rights become undervalued. There is an agreement between the league and the media partners to revisit the rights deals with good faith talks after three years that could reprice them to reflect the league’s growth.

To say that the WNBA has taken off, like few would have expected, is the understatement of the calendar year and well-deserved.

Cheryl Miller --yes, THE one and only Cheryl Miller; we'll always bring that up, younger bruh, but who knows who's better and we also kid and love you both -- is a big part of all of this All-Star Game goodness.

It seems strange to say now, but it seems safe to announce that the WNBA is here to stay.

Fantastic as evidenced by shout-outs here, here and everything else all here.

And for the record, just in case you were wondering, Shaq belives Angel is the ROY:

“[Angel Reese is] definitely leading in the Rookie of the Year race.”

Shaq says that Caitlin Clark is a "fabulous player" but his vote for ROTY is for Angel Reese right now 👀 pic.twitter.com/bGmSgTeXSn

— espnW (@espnW) July 17, 2024

— Enjoy free dish of rich and fabulous players with The Athlete Lifestyle on SI —

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