What Percentage Of WNBA Revenue Goes To Players?

WNBA revenue share is 50% of its incremental earnings earned above the league's income target from the season. 

The WNBA revenues have nearly doubled over the past four or five years since 2019. However, the player's share has not been fully divided as the league share fell to 9.3% in 2022, whereas the NBA counterparts received almost 50%.

The reduction in percentage shows a 2% fall from the 2019 season. In 2019, the minimum salary in WNBA was $62,285, with the maximum set at $234,936.

The average salary of a WNBA player for the 2023 season as of 2nd April was $147,745. 

In the Women's basketball league, there are a handful of ways for a player to earn direct compensation from the League and team's salary, bonuses, marketing deals, and turnover share.

Out of the four options from the Current CBA, only three have been implemented into effect as of now. The shared revenue is the one that remains in effect even though it is an overhyped piece of the CBA.

Even though the system has been put into place regarding the 50-50 compared to NBA, the players are still getting paid low.

If the cumulative overage is negative, there can't be income sharing even if no matter how the target is exceeded.

Here is how much players get in revenue sharing mentioned below:

Cumulative Overage for 2023 = 2023 Cumulative Revenue - 2023 Cumulative Revenue Target

 The amount starting in 2022 is compared to the prior year’s cumulative overage, called the “prior overage.” If the past overage was negative, it is replaced with 0.

Prior Overage for 2023 = 2022 Cumulative Revenue - 2022 Cumulative Revenue Target

The prior overage is then subtracted from the cumulative overage, which results in the “net overage”.

Net Overage for 2023 = 2023 Cumulative Overage - 2023 Prior Overage

League must exceed the cumulative and annual targets in a given year for sharing to occur.

Comparing NBA Vs WNBA income shows that the NBA has seen its income quadruple to $10 billion over the last 20 years. NBA players are slated to receive about 51% of the league revenues.

WNBA revenue 2023 is projected in between $180 million and $200 million in combined league and team revenue.

WNBA total revenue generated was $60 million as of  April 2022, which is lower compared to NBA's $10 billion the same year.

The season income has increased over the past few years, starting at $102 million in 2019. 

The WNBA earnings is generated from various sources, such as ticket sales, merchandise sales, sponsorship deals, broadcasting rights, and food and beverage sales.

Its growth was attributed to a huge rise in sponsorships as well as media exposure and fan engagement.

The post-season viewership averaged 728k viewers, resulting in growth of 36% and 41% during the finals, along with 54 million video views across the networks, its revenue might be expected to be higher this season compared to 2022.

The 27th season has broken a lot of records regarding its viewerships, ticket sales, and fan attendance in the game compared to past seasons.

WNBA percentage of revenue by year is forecasted to generate a combined league revenue of an estimated $180 to $200 million in 2023. It was recorded at $102 million in 2019.

The WNBA has seen a growth in the league's generated income annually with the average maintained at $60 million annually.

Here is the list of WNBA seasons and their estimated revenue since 2017:

However, the official financial data are yet to be disclosed by the concerned official authorities. The league has projected a gradual growth in the upcoming years. 

Their main sources of earnings include merchandise sales, ticket sales, sponsorship deals, and broadcasting rights. The WNBA had 36 active partners in 2023 generating $19.36 million as average annual sponsorship value deals.

Another factor that helps to boost the WNBA revenue is the broadcasting deal with CBS Sports worth $25 million in annual payments.

The WNBA will surely grow with the possibility of expanding the teams that might get launched in 2024 and 2025. 

Another increase in funds is through viewership, the league has experienced 728k average viewers which increased by 36% in the 2023 finals.

The WNBA Finals 2023 became the most-watched finals in the last 20 years. This season saw full attendance in every WNBA finals and postseason as well as regular games as well as the viewers which helped in increasing the revenue.

Yes. The WNBA is subsidized by the NBA as it receives an annual endowment of $15 million every year from the NBA.

The WNBA held its 27th season and has gained much popularity and viewership compared to the previous seasons. 

It was founded as a female counterpart to the NBA in 1996 and tipped off with eight teams at the beginning. Currently, it has 12.

The WNBA signed a CBA with the Women's National Basketball Players Association in 2020 which included a pay raise of 53% for the players.

This increase led to even bigger subsidiaries from the NBA if the WNBA doesn't find a way to become profitable.

Despite the bad record in making money from the fans, audiences, and viewership, 2021 showed that things could be getting bigger in the years to come which resulted in 2023 with the WNBA finals becoming the most watched finals in the last 2 decades.

The 2021 saw a growth of 63% from the 2020 season and 42% compared to that of 2019 season regarding average viewership. 

The league was able to acquire $75 million which helped to make the league profitable, including marketing and digital product upgrades.

The NBA has been the strongest supporter of Women's basketball recognizing the needs and opportunities of their female counterparts.

The subsidies provided by the NBA will help to cover the operating costs regarding facilities expenses, travel expenses, accommodation expenses, and administrative costs.

The partnerships between the two leagues will help to boost gender equality in sports and provide role models for young girls wanting to pursue their careers in professional basketball.