Why WNBA Player Salaries Lag Despite The League’s Rising Popularity

The WNBA, led by its rookie star players, Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, has experienced a record-breaking year in most categories including in attendance, viewership and merchandise sales. Three new expansion teams - San Fransisco, Toronto and Portland, and a $2.2 billion 11-year media rights deal with Disney, Amazon Prime and NBC are expected to flush the league with cash in the coming years. Yet, player salaries are low in comparison to the NBA and other sports leagues while the league struggles to become profitable. CNBC’s Tala Hadavi digs into the WNBA’s business model and explores why it may take years before the longest-running women’s sport league becomes profitable. Chapters: 03:18 Chapter 1: Playing in the WNBA 06:15 Chapter 2: An unusual business model 10:13 Chapter 3: Growth mode 12:24 Chapter 4: Collective bargaining agreement 14:45 Chapter 5: Revenue sharing Produced and Shot by: Tala Hadavi Shot and Edited by: Erin Black Additional Camera: Ryan Baker, Natalie Rice Animations: Christina Locopo, Jason Reginato Supervising Producer: Jeniece Pettitt Additional Footage: Getty Images