According to people familiar with the matter, the WNBA‘s owners will not see a return on their investment for some time to come, even if the league is seeing sellout crowds for the finals between the Minnesota Lynx and the New York Liberty. Nearly 60% of the league is owned by the NBA.
According to a source with firsthand knowledge of the figures, the percentage increases to 75% when one adds the NBA owners’ individual investments in WNBA teams and the WNBA as a whole. According to accounts, the NBA franchise owners have contributed hundreds of millions to the WNBA since its founding in 1996. NBA executive said , according to The Post : “The WNBA owes the NBA so much we won’t see any windfall for years,” “We are not even getting any money from WNBA expansion fees,”
According to insiders, the WNBA will lose $40 million this season, which is somewhat less than the $50 million prediction made by multiple media outlets months ago but still a loss.
NBA’s stance on WNBA
As part of the new basketball media contracts, the WNBA will get up to $2.2 billion over 11 years beginning in the 2026 season. Compared to the WNBA’s current revenue of about $60 million from national media contracts, that represents a projected rise of at least $100 million annually. To increase money, the WNBA also plans to extend its regular-season and playoff schedule.
However, the players have until November 1st to opt out of the existing collective bargaining agreement, and if they do, earnings will probably increase. This would reduce the league’s possible $60 million 2026 profit, which would be generated by the $100 million in broadcast income, which would have turned the anticipated $40 million deficit into a $60 million gain.
The NBA owners did not receive any of the money when Golden State Warriors owner Joe Lacob agreed to pay a $50 million expansion fee over ten years to start a WNBA team last year, and when Raptors minority owner Larry Tanenbaum paid $115 million this year for a Toronto team and a new practice facility.
Some NBA owners want NBA commissioner Adam Silver to be more open about when they might expect to receive some return from the WNBA, which has become incredibly successful. According to insiders, Silver has been pushed behind the scenes by James Dolan, the owner of the New York Knicks.
