The WNBA averages around 7,000 attendees per game while the NBA averages 18,000 in attendance. Ross Evans is a student at Harvard Law School and a member of the Labor and Employment Lab. The 2021 Women's National Basketball Association Racial and Gender Report Card (RGRC), released Wednesday by The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport (TIDES) at the University of Central Florida, confirms sports' best record for racial and gender hiring practices. Its just empty complaining Put in the advertising and get eyeballs watching. The top-tier NBA players, of course, make far more than that. Men with power need to do it too. Think about it. The WNBA continues to set an example for inclusive racial and gender hiring practices across all professional leagues. This is how women get written out of history., She didnt tag Serrano in the tweet. Indeed, proof of this is in the pudding: 90% of WNBPA player-members voted for this CBAs ratification, nearly double the support garnered by the National Football League Players Association, which narrowly ratified its newly announced CBA with just 51.5% support. Why aren't more women paying attention to the WNBA? Graham Hays of ESPN did that for me already, with this well-written piece for PAGE 2 about why men are afraid of the WNBA. Fourth and finally, WNBPA player-members whose tenure exceeds eight years can seek reimbursement for family-planning costs up to $20,000 in a year (and up to $60,000 across a career). A WNBA player sparked controversy on social media when she seemed to blame Black men for the league's low television ratings. I've pitched sports stories to female publications before and they are just not interested. He picked a team to follow. It was the most-watched Game 1 of the semifinal round since the current WNBA playoff format began in 2016. But yet plastered all over your website is women empowerment. Its not. According to The Athletic, the 2022 WNBA All-Star Game peaked at 768,000 viewers. Instead, each player sat on a coachs bench and delivered in-game analysis within earshot of all the chatter during timeouts and the game. We support women empowerment. Profit from the additional features of your individual account. Learn more about how Statista can support your business. Even with the NBA losing popularity because of its social justice advocacy and other reasons, viewership, and thus cash flow, is still significantly higher in the mens league. The gap is even larger for single-gender sports, the report shows. Indeed, last season, the All-WNBA First-Teamwhich includes the five best players in a given WNBA season, as voted by the mediaconsisted entirely of women who identify as LGBTQ+ (Courtney Vandersloot, Brittney Griner, Chelsea Gray, Natasha Howard, and reigning WNBA MVP Elena Delle Donne). In May, when theSparks played at the Connecticut Sun,Rebecca Lobo and Kara Lawson moved away from the typicalbroadcaster seats. You only have access to basic statistics. See all, NLRB General Counsel aims to limit employers' ability to hire temporary replacements during some lockouts; forty-four corporate Starbucks employees sign open letter urging neutrality towards unionization efforts; Senator Sanders plans vote to subpoena Starbucks CEO, Julie Su will replace Marty Walsh, Starbucks faces consequences for illegal acts, public pension funds eye a private equity firms treatment of workers, and two bills would impact workers rights. I should be paying attention. These women are some of the most talented and skilled professional athletes in the world. Indianapolis 500 qualifying on NBC averaged a 0.6 rating and 933,000 viewers Saturday and a 0.5 and 824,000 Sunday, both down from 2018 on ABC, the last time qualifying aired as scheduled (Saturday: 0.7, 1.05M; Sunday: 0.9, 1.33M). Right? The TV viewership is a lot smaller in the WNBA with around 280,000 viewers for the 2018 season while the 2019 NBA Finals alone averaged 15.14 million. Nope. And as the 20th season nears, its future lingers in the balance. This size difference would make sense considering men and women typically have different hand sizes. Minor league baseball doesn't have near the following as MLB. Back then womens sports on TV were a rarity. Our Top 5 Favorite NBA Basketball Team Mascots, Basketball Shoes Frequently Asked Questions. Statista. Indeed, the WNBAs reigning scoring champion, Britney Grinera towering 68 centerhad to contort into a middle coach seat to participate in last years All-Star Game. Notably, 100% of WNBPA members are female; 83% of WNBPA members are persons of color; and 67% are black or African-American. This past fall, the European Union passed a watershed initiative to raise minimum wages and strengthen collective bargaining. The WNBA had many all-time highs reported in this report card. Then he rattled off the names of key players Maya Moore, Candace Parker, Alana Beard and Chelsea Gray. I think were starting to see the tip of the iceberg here.. Both semifinal games went to overtime. Johnny Buss, center, and the L.A. Sparks took the bold step of promoting the WNBA team at a lesbian bar. I hate #NBA but this dude is 100% correct, if #WNBA wants more money (advertising, marketing) they need to increase their popularity & get more fans/TV ratings. [and without] leav[ing] anyone left behind, as WNBPA President Nneka Ogwumike emphasized. So then it just becomes a complaint that falls on deaf ears, Green continued. and the WNBA saw its highest draft viewership in 16 . Eight teams were included in that original season, with the league now consisting of 12 teams (6 in the western conference and 6 in the eastern conference). The NBA's total revenue in 2017 was about $8.76 billion and $4.3 billion of it went to its players; The WNBA's total revenue in 2017 was about $60 million and $20 million of it went to its . Each bar represents the share of any given stat category owned by a single player. Moore also wondered in her essay why the fans that rooted her on at the University of Connecticut didn't follow her to the WNBA. A WNBA roster has a maximum of 12 players, whereas an NBA roster has a maximum of 15 players and a minimum of 12. "Number of Viewers of The Wnba Finals on Espn from 2003 to 2022 (in 1,000s). He is the author of 17 books and the annual Racial and Gender Report Card, and is the president of the Institute for Sport and Social Justice. Accessed March 05, 2023. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1098381/national-basketball-association-interest-gender/, Morning Consult. . The WNBA 3-point line measures 20-feet 6-inches across the board. Seemingly straggling both sides of the fence, the Golden State Warriors power forward is also blaming virtue-signaling corporate America for failing to do enough to resolve a gender salary gap and apparently wants to shame them into writing some checks. Truth has never been more critical! The ratings didnt fall. How do Years of Eligibility Work in College Sports? Clarendon, drafted 9th in the first round of the 2013 draft, serves on the WNBA's social justice council and became the first openly non-binary and transgender player in the WNBA. Why start a story on WNBA viewership with Shea Serrano? We need more women to read, watch, and soak up women's sports the same way men do men's sports. Chart. Despite being virtual - as opposed to broadcast live from Nike. Jesse Jackson, founder and head of the organizations that merged to form Rainbow/PUSH, after reviewing the report card. Do you care? ", Morning Consult, Level of interest in the National Basketball Association in the United States as of May 2022, by gender Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1098381/national-basketball-association-interest-gender/ (last visited March 05, 2023), Level of interest in the National Basketball Association in the United States as of May 2022, by gender [Graph], Morning Consult, May 26, 2022. The league's best player, Diana Taurasi, even sat out last year because the Russian team she plays for overseas gave her a million reasons not to. Those conversations have to take place., Weiner became an advisor to him about the game. Wait. In, ESPN.com, und Sports Media Watch. All in all, we should commend both the WNBA and the WNBPA for its Big Bet on Women with this new CBA. I watch the NBA, basketball is basketball. He thought about it more overnight. Yet the commercialization of women's sports has not been fully realised. Stewart was unable to reap the benefits of free fertility treatment, having frozen her eggs earlier in 2019. Lynx forward Rebekkah Brunson became the leagues all-time leading rebounder. And that, you see, is the real issue. This post was published on the now-closed HuffPost Contributor platform. The WNBA has many players with college With the regular season, the 2021 WNBA season averaged 306,000 viewers, which is a 49 . Freelance Writer/Author of all things LGBT/Sports/Human Interest. If you need to flag this entry as abusive. These athletes are showing kids around the world that basketball is a sport loved by all races and genders, and by putting in the work, they too can make it to the professional level. Working Conditions. With colored spotlights dancing off his face and disco balls spinning overhead, Buss . The WNBA has held the top position in the racial and gender report cards since the WNBA's inaugural report in 2004. But the only female baller that can really throw down is Brittney Griner. He thought about it. While the above are the main differences in how the game is played between the men and the womens leagues, there are also differences when it comes to crowd sizes, average salaries, and more. It's no secret that NBA has been carrying the league since its inception. The minimum NBA salary is just over $1 million per year while the highest paid WNBA player in the current season is around $230,000. As OnLabor reported (see here and here ), the WNBPA negotiated a new collective bargaining agreement ("CBA") with the WNBA earlier this year. With regular-season viewership up 49 percent year-over-year, WNBA Viewership shows no signs of slowing down as the league continues to become more popular. statistic alerts) please log in with your personal account. But basketball fans don't really care about the stories off the court. I always was optimistic that we would start getting opportunities, Stiff said. For example, according to 2019 data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, unionized female employees earn 29% more than non-unionized female employees and unionized black employees earn 27% more than non-unionized black employees. For some reason there is a disconnect between women and the act of consuming women's sports, particularly the WNBA. "I think women really flipped this on its head," Ogwumike said, according to Bloomberg, "especially as it comes to stigmas and societal norms with expectations thrust around working women having to make this decision between family and career.". Sure, hes a Twitter superstar backed by the #FOHArmy. The NBA also brings in a lot more revenue over the course of a season with around $7.4 billion compared to the $60 million that the WNBA brings in. All rights reserved. During different parts of the 1980s she was an assistant womens basketball coach atWestern Connecticut State University and Brown University, and the head coach atRensselaer Polytechnic Institute. They had to. Since 1963, pay discrimination on the basis of sex has been illegal in the U.S., however. The 23 WNBA playoff games on Disney-owned networks had an average audience of 456,000 viewers, which represents a 22 per cent increase from the 2021 postseason. Sky forward . Plum notes the difference in narratives between the two leagues. The NBA league office continues to increase its racial and gender diversity with more than 37 percent people of color and more than 39 percent women. Still, Stewart's story, as well Naomi Osaka's and Simone Biles' outspokenness this summer about their mental health and well-being, has shed new light on women's health and the overall health and well-being of athletes. Altogether, player-members average guaranteed earnings will skyrocket from about $85,000 to about $130,000 (+53%). 2023 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. He knows there are others who have covered the game longer and have a great depth of knowledge on it. Since its establishment in 1996, the WNBA league has been operating at an average loss of $10 million a year, with only half of the teams generating profit in 2016. This problem could be solved if viewership for the WNBA increased and if longtime NBA fans start showing support for the WNBA as well. First, the CBA now requires WNBA teams to pay full base salaries to player-members on maternity leave, a first among womens professional sports leagues in the United States. According to the Atlantic, "The overall viewership, combined between CBS and Disney networks, averaged 379,000 viewers -- the highest in the league's 14-year history with its television partners." [13] The 2009 regular season on ESPN2 (13 telecasts) concluded with an average of 269,000 viewers, up 8% vs. 2008 season (248,000 viewers). This was the 17th consecutive year that the WNBA has received at least an A for its overall race, gender and combined grades. Her leadership is a cornerstone to the NBA and WNBA's leadership in diversity and inclusion across the sports industry that . Yet they don't want girls to be overly athletic. "I've always envisioned being an owner of a WNBA team," Beard said in October when it was announced she would partner with the African American Sports and Entertainment Group. As a Premium user you get access to background information and details about the release of this statistic. The NWSL and WNBA were the only professional sports leagues in North America to experience increased TV ratings during 2020 amid the pandemic. "It just made sense to come together to partner on this to bring something special to the community.". The 2021 WNBA regular season averaged 306,000 viewers, a 49 percent increase over the 2020 regular season and up 24 percent over 2019. Following the completion of the 2021 WNBA Finals, the WNBA announced a new playoff format, ending the use of single-elimination games. 2022 NBA Finals preferred winners in the U.S. National Basketball Association: price for a soft drink at games by team 2015/16, Franchise with the lowest value in the NBA 2003-2022, Average ticket price National Basketball Association (NBA) 2015/16, Find your information in our database containing over 20,000 reports. She tweeted her disappointment. . Hes literally telling women what they need to do to make their voice heard, Fieldsisbetter (@kwok_mason) April 1, 2021, Draymond isnt wrong How yall gonna get paid more when you not drawing NBA level revenue? The Sparks-Lynx game that had Serrano pregame texting ended upincludinga WNBA milestone. And it isn't men. different. It's not the right audience, they say. He had to connect with somebody about it. Required fields are marked *, Have you ever wondered why it seems like some college athletes look way older than you remember 18 to 22 year olds looking like when you were college age? Before, WNBA Players with less than four years of experience had to room with a teammate. But once the WNBA season wraps, several players head overseas to play internationally. For example, according to 2019 data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, unionized female employees earn 29% more than non-unionized female employees and unionized black employees earn 27% more than non-unionized black employees. Watch Draymond Greens comments embedded below and form your own conclusions: Thanks to those who've taken an interest in this issue. About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test new features NFL Sunday Ticket Press Copyright . He woke up with a different thought. According to ESPN, it was the most . This statistic is not included in your account. Aside from the obvious women and men, there are many things that the WNBA does differently than the NBA. For . They care about the basketball product. Probably not and Serrano doesnt believe its him. Each team received $110 million from shared-revenue outlets including national media, sponsorship, and licensing streams. Their Bosses Are Refusing to Bargain. Get full access to all features within our Business Solutions. The WNBA, led by commissioner Cathy Engelbert, earned three A+ grades after scoring 96.7% and 98.0% in racial hiring practices and gender hiring practices, respectively. Especially because the union managed to achieve this remarkable progress while represent[ing] everyone, every type of player. And though the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics did not [], On the latest episode of the Harvard Civil Rights-Civil Liberties Law Reviews podcast Taking Liberties, Emily Morrow and I spoke to James Esseks, Director of the ACLUs LGBT & HIV Project, about his thoughts coming out of oral argument for the Title VII LGBTQ cases. 2022 NBA Finals interest levels in the U.S. Average league-wide Fan Cost Index of the NBA 2022, Fan Cost Index of NBA teams 2015/16 season, NBA - venue and stadium renovation / construction costs 1989-2009, Franchise with the highest value in the NBA 2003-2022, Year-by-year spending on venue construction in the National Basketball Association 2005. Thank you for donating. So far this season, the WNBA has seen a 36 percent increase in viewership in adults age 18 to 49, a 29 percent jump in men in that age group and a 50 percent increase in women. That number spiked to 5.2 million in the final 15 minutes when Ogunbowale hit the. Vandersloot to New York, the rise of superteams and a Liberty-Aces WNBA Finals? TheNew York Times best-selling authorand super writer forThe Ringerwasnt covering the game, but he knew the backstory. He has been a regular commentator for ESPN.com on issues of diversity in sport. Two days later, ESPN expected a dip in the ratings for the championship game. I agree with his perspective. While the shot clock in both the WNBA and the NBA are 24-seconds, the NBA plays 12-minute quarters as opposed to the 10-minute quarters played in the WNBA. OhReally? Yet, the harsh reality of being a WNBA "star" is something even she can't ignore. More importantly, do you recognize any of the follow names? But those 75 percent make up a small fraction of the population. There are numerous complexities to the new EU directive, but for pro-worker Americans the key point to understand is that the historic new law aims to improve working conditions by increasing minimum wages and dramatically increasing collective []. Copyright 2023 OnLabor. The regular season takes place in summer from May to August and the play-offs in. . Register in seconds and access exclusive features. And so, its coming off as a complaint because the people that can change it, theyre just going to continue to say, Well, the revenue isnt thereso if you dont bring in the revenue, we cant up your pay. Theyre going to keep using that, but the reality is, as true as that is, its an excuse, he added.