NBA Owners Reportedly Frustrated With Lack of Financial Return From WNBA
The WNBA has experienced a massive boom this season that generated an unprecedented amount of attention and intrigue to the entire sport of women's basketball.
However, that doesn't mean the league is making money. Far from it, in fact; which an October 18 article from the New York Post indicates that the league's majority investors aren't happy about.
"While the WNBA is getting sellout crowds for the finals between the New York Liberty and Minnesota Lynx, the league’s owners will not be making a return on their investment for the foreseeable future, sources close to the situation said," the article wrote.
"The NBA owns nearly 60 percent of the league."
The article later wrote, "This season the WNBA will lose $40 million, a bit better than the $50 million forecast and reported by several media outlets months ago but still a loss, sources said."
This financial loss ultimately affects the pockets of the owners of the NBA's various franchises.
New York Post later explained that "The WNBA is also set to expand its regular season and playoff schedule to generate more revenue." This adds interesting context to the recent announcements that WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert made regarding the league's future changes.
The most alarming aspect of the article was when the article's authors Josh Josman and Brian Lewis wrote, "Some NBA owners want more transparency from NBA commissioner Adam Silver about when they will get to see some return from the suddenly popular WNBA.
"New York Knicks owner James Dolan has been pushing Silver behind the scenes," the article added.
The WNBA is likely to continue gaining popularity — and ultimately revenue — as global icons Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese progress in their careers, combined with college superstars like Paige Bueckers and JuJu Watkins entering the pro game in the coming years.
And that revenue can't come soon enough for the NBA's owners.
Grant Young covers Women’s Basketball, the New York Yankees, and the New York Mets for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco (USF), where he also graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and played on USF’s Division I baseball team for five years. However, he now prefers Angel Reese to Angels in the Outfield.