Let’s see where this goes 5 years from now.
Can The WNBA Be Improved Financially? Is this what you wanted.
- Thread starter Gazoo
- Start date
Let’s see where this goes 5 years from now.
Changed fast on ya
Or it’ll be the end of the WNBA. This is their last chance to turn profit. 30 plus years of loss won’t cut it.
No it won’t and no it’s not! As long as there is an nba, there will be a wnba. It doesn’t matter the profit. Plus all it is is a tax right off for the nba and owners anyways. You mofos really think the owners and the nba are losing money
No it won’t and no it’s not! As long as there is an nba, there will be a wnba. It doesn’t matter the profit. Plus all it is is a tax right off for the nba and owners anyways. You mofos really think the owners and the nba are losing money
Is the WNBA Profitable?
The WNBA, while an impressive display of athleticism and skill, is not necessarily known for its popularity. Though it undoubtedly has its fans, the larger market and direct competition with the NBA has made it difficult to stay afloat in recent years.
While I don’t actively keep up with the WNBA, I have played and watched basketball for nearly three decades. My first-hand experience, expanded by extra investigations and analysis, allowed me to take a deep dive into the league and its recent financial history.
This guide will cover the WNBA’s profitability in two parts. First, it will analyze the league’s history as a whole and then use that to discuss why it hasn’t lived up to its rather lofty expectations as of late.
Check out the following sections to learn more.
Does the WNBA Make Money?
To kick off this article we first need to address the core question at hand: is the WNBA profitable. In a word? No. Unfortunately, where the NBA is a money-making machine (which we’ll see later on) the WNBA is nowhere near as profitable on a yearly basis.In terms of raw numbers, the WNBA generates roughly $60 million in revenue every season. That may sound like a lot, but when matched up against the $70 million the league costs to run, it actually loses roughly $10 million with each passing year.
That number doesn’t get any better when you look back. In fact, that $10 million loss is roughly the average the league has cost to run since it was first incepted in 1996. It’s never been profitable, which looks even worse when you compare it to the NBA’s $8 billion yearly revenue.
How Does the WNBA Stay Afloat?
As you might imagine, no company or organization would be able to survive losing $10 million a year. It simply isn’t possible. To overcome that deficit, the WNBA is actively subsidized by the NBA. That helps fill the gap and keeps the lights on for the league.Without any external help, the WNBA likely wouldn’t be able to stick around. It doesn’t seem like it’s going anywhere anytime soon, especially since it’s been around for nearly thirty years and still has a solid fan base, but there’s no doubt the owners wish it would generate more income.
How Does it Make Money?
While the fact that the WNBA isn’t profitable holds it back, it still generates $60 million a year. To better understand the league from a purely monetary standpoint, it’s critical to look at exactly where that money comes from and how it gets spread out among the players.The league doesn’t break down its revenue by source. Even so, there are some estimates out there (and calculations we can make) that help account for the total budget.
First, WNBA games average between 7,000 and 8,000 fans per game per season. If you take that number, compare it against the $16.68 average ticket price, and then multiply it out by 12 teams playing 32 games you get roughly $50 million in ticket sales for a whole season.
While not enough to cover expenses, that’s still a decent chunk of change. Almost all of the league’s money comes from ticket sales, which is not the case in the NBA. That means the other $10 million is generated through things such as food and merchandise.
Where Does the Money Go?
As you might imagine, given the earning disparity between the leagues, the WNBA cannot afford to pay players like the NBA. Teams still make a good amount of money, but it’s nothing compared to the multi-million dollar contracts you see in the NBA.As the WNBA actively loses money, paying players at a similar rate would just bankrupt the league. The organization pays out roughly 20 percent of its total revenue ($12.3 million) to the players, giving them an average salary just above low six figures.
The NBA’s revenue split is much higher (50-50), but that’s simply because the league has a lot more money to throw around. Without that financial weight, the WNBA still does a decent job at making sure its players can live good lives.
FAQs
Here are some questions you might have about the topic, I’ll answer them briefly below.How Much Money Do WNBA Players Make?
The average WNBA player makes roughly $130,000 a year, and rookie or first-time contracts have a minimum of $57,000 a year. That’s not anything close to NBA players, but it’s still pretty good pay for playing a game.Does the NBA Make More than the WNBA?
Yes. A lot more. While the WNBA pulls in around $60 million each year, the NBA generates a staggering $8 billion in revenue. That puts it as one of the most successful businesses in the world.Are WNBA Games Expensive?
Compared to other sporting events, they are quite cheap. The average ticket price for any WNBA game sits right around $17. Add a little extra for food and you get a solid outing without paying too much.Who is the Highest Paid WNBA Player?
Both Skylar Diggins-Smith and Brittney Griner have $221,000 contracts. That makes them the league’s top earners.Tough Competition
At the end of the day, the WNBA is not nearly as popular as its male counterpart. It still does a good job of bringing in fans, especially for a female league, but it still hasn’t been able to earn enough money to stay profitable over time.Those behind the league have made steps in recent years to provide a more interactive and fun viewing experience. That includes going to platforms like Twitch, as well as running larger ad campaigns. Only time will tell if such measures work to create more revenue.
Are you ok seriously; I said nothing about the wbna making money; so i dont know why you posted this dumb shit to begin; reread what I wrote smart guy; and then understand before you post a ridiculous response like you just did; reading is fundamental
Yeah I spoke on this yesterday saying how it's been like that for years, this year I think Caitlin, Cardoso, Brink and Reese are safe but all the others gonna have to really show out in training camp or they either won't make the team or won't be in the WNBA for long. The WNBA has cut good players before because they didn't want to pay them, I remember posting a couple years ago when the Sparks cut Te'a Cooper who was one of the most popular players in the league
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You have to realize that the WNBA is a business, just like other sports leagues. Decisions on resigning/cutting players are sometimes based on the business side of things. The WNBA has a hard salary cap. You can't sign everyone.
Hopefully expansion happens sooner than expected and we see more good players on rosters instead of playing overseas.
Hopefully expansion happens sooner than expected and we see more good players on rosters instead of playing overseas.
Ain't nobody interested in watching women play basketball. I remember when I was in college they switched the times of men's and women's basketball games. Instead of having the men play last they had the men's game first and the women's game last. When they saw the reaction of that shit that was the last time they did that stupid shit.
Yup. Seems like the girls the play the 4 or 5 seem to last the longer such as - Aja, Candace Parker, Breanna Stewart, Jonquel Jones, Nneka Ogwumike, and Delle Donne...
Sabrina and Jewell are probably the top guards in the WNBA....
Yup expansion and get the new TV Deal.....
The league needs to do a better job with getting endorsement deals with the girls...Outside of Aja, I don't know if many of the girls have endorsement deals....That might change this year though....
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What I I have seen is desperation then clinging on to me to boost their financials by trying to use my NIL. I used to let it slide but it is getting out of pocket.
I was just about to post this, said last year numbers were 572,000 and the previous record was 600,000 when the class DIANA TARAUSI was in got drafted, looks like she has something else to be jealous of...lol
They're getting kinda irritating especially Jemele.
Fan support is the reason the league hasn't grown, not because of the league not broadcasting the games. The league and networks put them on tv but no one watched.
Then they had games on weird channels because networks didn't wanna lose money by putting them on bigger networks.
And it's not a women thing. I remember a few years ago they had hockey on weird channels too because of the lack of support.
They can't put the blame on the WNBA, the network or the players.
The game just failed to draw outside interest.
If they put every game on national tv that wouldn't have done anything except give people more shit to not to watch
They're getting kinda irritating especially Jemele.
Fan support is the reason the league hasn't grown, not because of the league not broadcasting the games. The league and networks put them on tv but no one watched.
Then they had games on weird channels because networks didn't wanna lose money by putting them on bigger networks.
And it's not a women thing. I remember a few years ago they had hockey on weird channels too because of the lack of support.
They can't put the blame on the WNBA, the network or the players.
The game just failed to draw outside interest.
If they put every game on national tv that wouldn't have done anything except give people more shit to not to watch
But do you think Caitlin and Angel can change that?
Angel no Caitlin yes.
Caitlin's an exciting player to watch so she's definitely bring eyes to the game.
Ok let me not be negative. We'll definitely be watching Angel and Cardoso in Chicago. Caitlin just has a more exciting game so she'll bring the extra eyes to the game like she's already doing .
Angel and Cardoso will be a must see for me. At least in the beginning.
Me too, I'll be looking forward to seeing the Sparks too.
This will easily be one of the most exciting seasons ever for them.
Too many butch dykes
Ends the thread. The league would do better of it was full of fluffy BBWs. A least people could dream that these fatties could lose weight and be desirable. Nothing sexy about a Allen Iverson built bitch or some big Brian Urlacher built bitch trying to impress me with a weak ass slow footed post game. A yooooooo......
I'm saying this is the first time I will be going to an wnba anxiously and not on discount tix or to bring the girls.
I'm really excited to go to a game next season.