If you still have doubts about the Caitlin Clark effect on the WNBA, look no further than the league’s latest TV deal.
The NBA secured their new $76 billion TV deal this month to make ABC and Amazon the new television providers for the regular season, keeping ESPN as the home of the finals. It is a sign of new times for the sport of basketball. After 34 years of TNT partnering with the NBA, that appears to be coming to an end.
Alongside partnering with a known television commodity in NBC, the NBA is the latest league to invest heavily in streaming platforms, both the NFL and college football already embracing streaming for games.
The deal also shows the advancement of the WNBA and the surge in popularity of Indiana point guard Caitlin Clark. The WNBA will earn an estimated $2.2 billion as part of the NBA’s multi-year deals with NBC, Amazon, and Disney for broadcasting rights. That is more than triple their previous TV deal valuation of $60 million per year set to expire in 2025.
Undeniably, former Iowa Hawkeye Caitlin Clark has played a large role in the surge in popularity and valuation for the league. Though Clark has received a solid amount of pushback from a section of the internet, she has been absolute money for the league so far.
This year, the WNBA has broken several viewership records, including a game between the Indiana Fever and Chicago Sky that peaked at 2.3 million viewers. The numbers simply do not lie, America just can’t get enough of this point guard!
The WNBA is on the up-and-up and the ascension is just starting!
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