WNBA Players Association opts out of Collective Bargaining Agreement ahead of deadline
newsweek.com — October 21, 2024, 10:01 PM UTC
The WNBA Players Association has decided to opt out of its Collective Bargaining Agreement, effective October 31, 2025. This decision comes 12 days before the deadline and follows a significant increase in viewership during the playoffs. The league has seen a 142 percent rise in viewership, with the semifinals averaging 850,000 viewers. This marks the highest viewership since the league's start in 1997, driven in part by rookie Caitlin Clark's popularity. A new media rights deal, valued at $200 million annually, will begin in 2026. Negotiations for a new CBA will focus on how to share the increased revenues between players and owners.