LOS ANGELES, CA – AUGUST 21: Sylvia Fowles #34 of the Minnesota Lynx handles the ball against the Los Angeles Sparks in Round One of the 2018 WNBA Playoffs on August 21, 2018 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)
The WNBA and CBS Sports have reached a multi-year television deal to broadcast up to 40 games a season. That’s great for the league.
One of the problems that has been plaguing the WNBA for much of its existence can be summed up in one word: Exposure.
The WNBA was initially created to be a partner to the NBA, a league where the best women basketball players in the world could finally have a platform to showcase their talent. That really hasn’t been the case over the nearly 22-year existence of the league, as it continues to be bogged down by poor pay and poor exposure.
Hopefully, CBS Sports can help right the ship, at least when it comes to exposure.
On April 22, the WNBA and CBS Sports put their signatures on a multi-year deal that will allow the network to broadcast 40 games per season. As part of the agreement, CBS will air WNBA games both on the weekends and in primetime, the latter of which could change the dynamic of the WNBA for the better.
Keep in mind, the WNBA will also keep its 16-game deal with ESPN intact, meaning that up to 56 games, not including the postseason, will be broadcast to living rooms and sports bars all over America, giving the WNBA more exposure. Adding televised games could also prove a benefit to the other problem long vexing the league — revenue.
The WNBA has been a money-loser for most of its life, mostly because of a lack of advertising and coverage. The league’s revenue troubles have led to their stars getting pay much-less than their male counterparts, but with the added television coverage, better advertising, and (hopefully) more fans attending the games, league revenue may finally improve, and WNBA players can get paid what they deserve.