Fans struggle to watch WNBA games as popularity explodes

Fans want to watch their favorite WNBA players but they can’t

What you probably already know: Women’s basketball is having something of a moment, thanks in large part to some stars from the college level whose exceptional talent captured the nation. As Caitlin Clark, Kamilla Cardoso, and Angel Reese join the WNBA, fans are struggling to find ways to watch the games.

Why? More than 2.4 million people watched the April WNBA draft, easily the most ever. But most WNBA games won’t get a national broadcast. The Indiana Fever, where Clark is playing, will have the most nationally televised games — 36 of their 40 — but when fans couldn’t watch Cardoso and Reese, they turned to a woman who was livestreaming the game from inside the stadium. More than 600,000 people tuned in. Ticket prices are also on the rise. Tickets for the Seattle Storm typically start around $25 but the lowest priced tickets for the Storm vs. Indiana are currently $100.

What it means: For years, the argument of why women shouldn’t be paid as much as men for professional sports has hinged on audience size. But what’s becoming clear is that people would watch women’s sports if they could, and that would drive significant ad revenue that could support increased salaries. Clark’s male counterpart — the lead pick for the NBA last year — has a base salary 150 times higher than hers.

What happens now? One way WNBA players could inch closer to their male colleagues is by providing them the revenue split the NBA gives its players. Broadcast revenue, jersey sales and other revenue is split 50-50 between players and owners in the NBA. The WNBA has no such provision, though that could change after this year.