The WNBA is about to level up, according to reports.
As the league has skyrocketed in popularity, it is ready to cash in on a national media rights package that is set to more than triple that of the current deal.
The Athletic is reporting the WNBA is set to receive roughly $2.2 billion over the next 11 years in rights fees. The estimate is expected to be about $200 million per year with the possibility of earning more throughout the 11-year period.
The media rights package includes deals with ESPN, NBC and Amazon.
According to The Athletic, the NBA negotiated the WNBA's new deals during its rights talks. The NBA's board of governors approved those media rights deals — totaling approximately $75 billion in contracts — on Tuesday.
The packages are not officially since Warner Bros. Discovery (parent company of TNT) has the ability to match any agreements for NBA television rights. According to reports, Warner Bros has not decided whether to exercise them.
The WNBA's current media rights deal pays the league roughly $50 million annually. The WNBA's new deal can be as much as six times the current deal. The NWSL recently agreed to a media rights deal that pays the league $60 million annually, the most of any women's professional sports league. The WNBA has an opportunity to blow that number out of the water.
The Athletic is also reporting the WNBA will have an opportunity for good faith renegotiation if the league continues to flourish. The WNBA could revisit the deal after three years if the deal becomes undervalued.
