Why WNBA Player Salaries Lag Despite The League's Rising Popularity

The WNBA, led by its rookie star players, Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, has experienced a record-breaking year in most categories including in attendance, viewership and merchandise sales. Three new expansion teams - San Fransisco, Toronto and Portland, and a $2.2 billion 11-year media rights deal with Disney, Amazon Prime and NBC are expected to flush the league with cash in the coming years. Yet, player salaries are low in comparison to the NBA and other sports leagues while the league struggles to become profitable. CNBC’s Tala Hadavi digs into the WNBA’s business model and explores why it may take years before the longest-running women’s sport league becomes profitable. Chapters: 03:18 Chapter 1: Playing in the WNBA 06:15 Chapter 2: An unusual business model 10:13 Chapter 3: Growth mode 12:24 Chapter 4: Collective bargaining agreement 14:45 Chapter 5: Revenue sharing Produced and Shot by: Tala Hadavi Shot and Edited by: Erin Black Additional Camera: Ryan Baker, Natalie Rice Animations: Christina Locopo, Jason Reginato Supervising Producer: Jeniece Pettitt Additional Footage: Getty Images » Subscribe to CNBC: https://cnb.cx/SubscribeCNBC » Subscribe to CNBC TV: https://cnb.cx/SubscribeCNBCtelevision About CNBC: From 'Wall Street' to 'Main Street' to award winning original documentaries and Reality TV series, CNBC has you covered. Experience special sneak peeks of your favorite shows, exclusive video and more. Want to master your money this fall? Sign up for CNBC’s new online course. We’ll teach you practical strategies to hack your budget, reduce your debt, and grow your wealth. Start today to feel more confident and successful. Use code EARLYBIRD for an introductory discount of 30% off, now extended through September 30, 2024, for the back-to-school season: https://cnb.cx/3WiasGB Connect with CNBC News Online Get the latest news: https://www.cnbc.com/ Follow CNBC on LinkedIn: https://cnb.cx/LinkedInCNBC Follow CNBC News on Instagram: https://cnb.cx/InstagramCNBC Follow CNBC News on Facebook: https://cnb.cx/LikeCNBC Follow CNBC on Threads: https://cnb.cx/threads Follow CNBC News on X: https://cnb.cx/FollowCNBC Follow CNBC on WhatsApp: https://cnb.cx/WhatsAppCNBC #CNBC #WNBA #Sports Why WNBA Player Salaries Lag Despite The League's Rising Popularity