Why start a story on WNBA viewership with Shea Serrano? [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). Heres hoping the best womens basketball league in the world returns as soon as safely possible so that we can both enjoy and support this Big Bet on Women. . But, while the level of pay varies from sport to sport, a look at five popular American sports shows a common reality: female athletes consistently make less than men. She wasnt trying to attack or troll him. ", Prof. Sachs on how employers can benefit from unions, explaining how unions "open up a new line of communication between management and workers" and how voluntary recognition "can be faster and less acrimonious" than using the NLRB process, Apple to Withhold Latest Employee Perks From Unionized Store. Half the population in the United States is made up of women. Women's Sport WNBA regular season viewership up 16% on 2021 to score 14-year high US women's basketball league live broadcasts average 379,000 viewers on CBS, ABC and ESPN. He told her she was right. It's true and also unfortunate. Ross Evans is a student at Harvard Law School and a member of the Labor and Employment Lab. Star athletes like Naomi Osaka and Serena. Anti-Trump, gold medalist soccer star Megan Rapinoe recently visited the White House to lament that she is paid less than men who do the same job (even though womens soccer is apparently far less popular than its male counterpart. Then you can access your favorite statistics via the star in the header. Sky guard Kahleah Copper won the 2021 Finals MVP after averaging 17 points and 5.5 rebounds in the series. 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. The new format gives the WNBA more opportunity to generate revenue and showcase players' talent on TV. Your email address will not be published. The NBA's average attendance is 17,760, the WNBA's 6,535. She and her wife, Russian Premier League teammate Marta Xargay Casademont, welcomed daughter, Ruby, via surrogate on Aug. 9. An NBA Draft player must be at least 19 years old and have a minimum of one year post-secondary experience; however, a WNBA Draft player must be at least 22 years old. Last April, she wrote an honest and open essay for The Players' Tribune, called (In)visibility, in which she talks about all the hard work she put in to get to get to where she is today, and how disappointing it is that all that hard work goes relatively unnoticed. 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. That number spiked to 5.2 million in the final 15 minutes when Ogunbowale hit the buzzer-beating championship-winner, capping the biggest comeback in championship game history. He picked a team to follow. By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you're agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. Wake up to the day's most important news. Then shetweeted back and forth with Bryant. Or the professionalism. That's part of the reason why previous attempts to soften the WNBA's image were brought up in marketing sessions by WNBA league-heads. Probably not and Serrano doesnt believe its him. What do (Sports) Unions Do in a Pandemic? Then he rattled off the names of key players Maya Moore, Candace Parker, Alana Beard and Chelsea Gray. And top Players stand to gain the most, as the CBA boosts the ceiling on total individual cash compensation more than threefold, now eclipsing $500,000. They had to. The number of Black head coaches increased from three in 2020 to five in 2021. 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. Get full access to all features within our Business Solutions. . In, ESPN.com, und Sports Media Watch. Realistically, men have more of an advantage than women considering the fact that mens' muscle mass tends to be more discernible in the upper body, while women often have more of an immense amount in the lower body. The WNBA has continued its diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives where it left off after the 2020 season. Sep 22, 2022 The 2022 Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) Finals were contested between the Las Vegas Aces and the Connecticut Sun. "It's so interesting, . Following the completion of the 2021 WNBA Finals, the WNBA announced a new playoff format, ending the use of single-elimination games. The games marquee brand, UConn, had been eliminated. It was the mostwatched regular season WNBA gameon ESPN2 since 2011. to incorporate the statistic into your presentation at any time. The WNBA scored 98.3 points for racial hiring practices and 96.8 points for gender hiring practices in 2021 and continued to set an example for inclusive racial and gender hiring practices across . I interviewed Brittney Griner a couple of years ago for a magazine story in which she revealed that the league was contemplating shorter and tighter uniforms. It would also expand the number of players in the league, providing more opportunities for women to compete at the highest level. The WNBA recently hired a new president of operations this past February to address the issue at hand. For all-but-one event examined, the women 55+ demo made up a greater proportion of the audience than any other . Profit from the additional features of your individual account. It is a [], Today, the Supreme Court held that Title VII prohibits workplace discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. If you are an admin, please authenticate by logging in again. But those 75 percent make up a small fraction of the population. It's not about the looks of the players, either. And that, you see, is the real issue. The rest of the court is generally the same as some WNBA teams share a court with NBA teams, so it would make sense for them to have similar dimensions. 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. 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. Richard E. Lapchick directs the University of Central Florida's Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport. Prof. Sachs explains why employers like Apple and Starbucks are wrong when they say they can't offer union workers the same perks that they're extending to nonunion employees. This represented the. The WNBA has held the top position in the racial and gender report cards since the WNBA's inaugural report in 2004. Theyve got a player named Sabrina (Ionescu), a player named Ruthy (Hebard), my two favorite players, and Maite Cazorla., The ratings didnt fall. The WNBA requires players entering the draft to be at least 22 years old. 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. Statista. Johnny Buss, center, and the L.A. Sparks took the bold step of promoting the WNBA team at a lesbian bar. Aside from the obvious women and men, there are many things that the WNBA does differently than the NBA. 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. That's what they want in a basketball game. pic.twitter.com/uz3nEoLNvk, Kylen Mills (@KylenMills) April 5, 2021. Maya Moore (David Berding/Icon Sportswire via. This cringe-worthy idea would have done nothing to improve the quality of the product, and would have played into the stereotypes that so many female athletes are trying to break down. This past fall, the European Union passed a watershed initiative to raise minimum wages and strengthen collective bargaining. WNBA playoff format changes: Solving a problem or 'overcorrecting'? Long story short, female basketball players. A WNBA roster has a maximum of 12 players, whereas an NBA roster has a maximum of 15 players and a minimum of 12. Just because its fair? I agree with his perspective. I should be paying attention. Whether youre Read more. WNBA earns highest marks for racial and gender hiring practices, WNBA mock draft: Villanova's Siegrist soars into lottery pick, Serena, Griner honored at NAACP Image Awards, Sparks officially re-sign forward N. Ogwumike, Griner on court in 1st open workout since release, WNBA draft set for N.Y., to have 'Orange Carpet', 2-time All-Star C. Ogwumike back with Sparks, Griner officially rejoins Mercury in 'special signing', Yang joins Sparks after FIBA silver with China, WNBA trade grades: Why Wings, Liberty earn top marks in Saturday's four-team trade. When the league was first introduced, the WNBA would play two 20-minute halves utilizing a 30 second shot clock. A few weeks later, she searched up Serranos bookBasketball (And Other Things)to see if there was any mention of women in it. Vandersloot to New York, the rise of superteams and a Liberty-Aces WNBA Finals? They included the number of women in ownership positions, percentage of women in team president positions, and people of color in assistant coaching positions, which led to the overall grade of A+. Indeed, the NBA and WNBA should be active participants in this quest. But once the WNBA season wraps, several players head overseas to play internationally. I should be paying attention. Sure, hes a Twitter superstar backed by the #FOHArmy. Lisa Borders, a former Coca-Cola executive, is now tasked with the responsibility of increasing viewership of the league. The average annual WNBA salary is reportedly about $100,000 as compared to the approximately $7 million that NBA players bank. Both semifinal games went to overtime. During the appearanceshe met Bryant. The league's commitment to fostering inclusive environments can be seen in making journalists and announcers aware of Clarendon's pronouns and that they are respected. 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." its huge. The percentage of majority owners and owners with voting power who are women was 33.3 percent in 2021. The two new head coaches in 2021 were: Noelle Quinn of the Seattle Storm and Darius Taylor of the Atlanta Dream. Those conversations have to take place., Weiner became an advisor to him about the game. We know ESPN is paying the WNBA $25 million to broadcast some of its games. Trying to attract men who already have preconceived notions about the WNBA or female athletes in general is fruitless. NBA basketball. 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. For . It also comes as the Trump administration [], The workplace benefits historically marginalized groups enjoy from unionization are well-documented. We do this for women. 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. That's unconstitutional. ESPN is using all of its platforms, not just the TV games, Stiff said, pointing to coverage and player appearances onSportsCenterandGet Up! He has been a regular commentator for ESPN.com on issues of diversity in sport. "It just made sense to come together to partner on this to bring something special to the community.". In short, thats a lot of numbers about rising ratings and there must be a reason for it. Another difference within the organizations has to do with the team rosters. Especially because the union managed to achieve this remarkable progress while represent[ing] everyone, every type of player. Business Solutions including all features. The percentage of women holding positions in the WNBA league office increased 4.5 percentage points, from 60.9 in 2020 to 65.4 percent in 2021. Get full access to all features within our Business Solutions. Copyright 2023. Brittney Griner. Much like many CBA negotiations, compensation represented the biggest factor in WNBA-WNBPA negotiations. We support women in the workplace. Are you interested in testing our business solutions? That said, a unique dynamic underlaid this compensation negotiation: WNBPA player-members strongly desired an equal (50%) share of WNBA revenues to match the virtually equal revenue partnership their male NBPA counterparts enjoy with the NBA. Unfortunately, the WNBA fanbase is not nearly as large as the NBA fanbase is and this is evident in the coverage of games. It's a hard task. The women's U.S. Open finale recorded 2.44 millionviewers and a 0.38rating against 2.05 million and a 0.35rating for the men's. The WNBA continues to set an example for inclusive racial and gender hiring practices across all professional leagues. According to Forbes, "In 2021, viewership numbers dropped 12% to 331,000 average viewers but still yielded the second-largest viewership since the 2004 Draft (601,000 views)." The WNBA turned 25 this year and this is a positive sign for Cathy Engelbert's league to progress in the same direction. Damn, shes actually right. Natalie Weiner (@natalieweiner)October 15, 2017, These very important people in, not just womens basketball history, but basketball history are excluded from this book that is ostensibly about the whole sport and not just about men in the sport, Weiner said. All in all, we should commend both the WNBA and the WNBPA for its Big Bet on Women with this new CBA. The recent push for new health and family care support can be attributed to many players' candidness about their journeys to building their families. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain fruitful conversation. While Engelbert has stated the new franchise is still far away and "on the horizon," Beard's commitment to moving the proposal forward is yet another example of how former WNBA players are committed to the league and the game after retirement. Hes been writing features on the womens game and tweeting about it, but hes a newbie on this front, maybe even considered an interloper by some. Gender Female Male 2012-2013 NBA Regular Season Source: Nielsen National TV Toolbox: Ratings Analysis, Regular Season 2012-2013, P2+, Live+SD. [Online]. Despite being virtual - as opposed to broadcast live from Nike. Then you can access your favorite statistics via the star in the header. Could there be one reason for it? The league's best teams aren't showcased like they should be, in order to market said product. Women again held the majority of CEO/president positions, with 66.7%. Last year, in a bold yet seemingly desperate move, the WNBA launched a marketing campaign that focused on LGBT fans, holding public events at lesbian clubs and pride parades. VIEWERSHIP: Combined viewership for the WNBA across ESPN Networks (ABC, ESPN, ESPN2) and the CBS Television Network was up 16 percent over the 2021 regular season, averaging 379,000. Women's college basketball gets more televised games than the WNBA, and that's part of the problem. But the only female baller that can really throw down is Brittney Griner. 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). Moreover, of the six women on the WNBPAs player-member leadership team, halfDelle Donne, Sue Bird, and Layshia Clarendonidentify as LGBTQ+. You need a Statista Account for unlimited access. ESPN.com, & Sports Media Watch. This is the second time in the history of the WNBA report card that a majority of CEO/presidents are women. 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. We cannot continue to expect the most underrepresented and underserved in sports to carry most of the load in diversity and equity in sports. "Level of Interest in The National Basketball Association in The United States as of May 2022, by Gender. If a comment is spam, instead of replying to it please click the icon below and to the right of that comment. The Sparks-Lynx game that had Serrano pregame texting ended upincludinga WNBA milestone. Support for Working Mothers. Western Connecticut State University and Brown University, and the head coach atRensselaer Polytechnic Institute. According to Sports Business Journal, Each NBA game has an average of 1.2 million viewers, while WNBA games have less than half that amount, resulting in a significant revenue gap. According to ESPN, it was the most . Ticket prices for the NBA average around $90 per ticket while the WNBA tickets cost around $18 on average. Jesse Jackson, founder and head of the organizations that merged to form Rainbow/PUSH, after reviewing the report card. Viewership is up, way way up, so much so that the regular season had the highest viewership numbers for the league since 2008. But the total money guaranteed to Players far exceeds the sum of their base salaries: select player-members will earn additional money from WNBA- and team-specific marketing agreements, in-season tournament prizes, and performance bonuses. Noor Ahmed made significant contributions to this column. said the Rev. It was the most-watched Game 1 of the semifinal round since the current WNBA playoff format began in 2016. 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. That was a 74% uptick from 2020's season . The WNBA also hosted vaccine clinics across the country to emphasize the importance of vaccination. It was Oregon. AP Photo/Paul Beaty. So then it just becomes a complaint that falls on deaf ears, Green continued. "I'm a realist. 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 []. Similar to typical CBA negotiations, WNBPA player-members working conditionsin this case, travel accommodationsrepresented a significant negotiating point. As Clarendon explained, for women who have often been underpaid, we know black women are underpaid, queer people, [too] . . This fourth provision recognizes not only the WNBPAs all-female membership (including many player-members identity as current or future mothers) but also many player-members identity as LGBTQ+ persons or allies, further cementing the WNBA as professional sports leader in LGBTQ+ inclusion. The ratings didnt fall. Statista. Chart. 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. These women are some of the most talented and skilled professional athletes in the world. Moore thinks so. That money is then being used to fund political lobbying that many of the workers oppose. You know, I realize that the WNBA is 25 years. If you are an admin, please authenticate by logging in again. Maya Moore. Both series went five games with each team taking one title. I watch the NBA, basketball is basketball. He thought about it more overnight. If you've commented with us before, we'll need you to re-input your email address for this. . Blah, blah, blah. This was the 17th consecutive year that the WNBA has received at least an A for its overall race, gender and combined grades. 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. WNBA star Candace Parker says it's not about making a salary equal to the men, but ensuring women are given a platform to succeed. In the NBA the 3-point line measures 23-foot 9-inches at the top of the key and 22-feet in the corners. We need more women to read, watch, and soak up women's sports the same way men do men's sports. PLEASE JOIN OUR NEW COMMENT SYSTEM! Other signs of triumph for WNBA stars In addition to the number of players on a roster, the age requirements for the two leagues are different as well. Accessed March 05, 2023. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1098381/national-basketball-association-interest-gender/, Morning Consult. The average NBA team value is $1.9 billion, a 13% growth over last year. Yet they don't want girls to be overly athletic. The WNBA needs more women to watch in order to stay viable. "Not only did they celebrate their 25th year anniversary on the court, but Dr. Lapchick reports so many wonderful steps of progress that have been made off the court in their business and hiring practices! Overview and forecasts on trending topics, Industry and market insights and forecasts, Key figures and rankings about companies and products, Consumer and brand insights and preferences in various industries, Detailed information about political and social topics, All key figures about countries and regions, Market forecast and expert KPIs for 600+ segments in 150+ countries, Insights on consumer attitudes and behavior worldwide, Business information on 60m+ public and private companies, Detailed information for 35,000+ online stores and marketplaces. They are taking away our advertising revenue, censoring our content,and threatening to de-platform us. 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. The Supreme Courts decision on Monday outlawing anti-LGBTQ employment discrimination is a triumph for both the country and the [C]ourt, wrote Slates Mark Joseph Stern. Its a good product but its a different product than the NBA. It's not a coincidence that tennis legends Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova, and Li Na are among the . For Stiff this is more than a job. We need more women to read, watch, and soak up women's sports the same way men do men's sports. The WNBA has a social justice council that focuses on social justice programming and initiatives that include anti-racism training, voter registration and campaigning. The opening weekend recorded a 25% increase from the previous year and two weeks in, the WNBA was averaging 357,000 viewers across ABC, ESPN and ESPN2. NBA star Draymond Green is calling out female athletes for more or less being all talk and no action about equal pay. The latter was second only to Major League . Thank you for donating. "Level of interest in the National Basketball Association in the United States as of May 2022, by gender." The WNBA's audience is 75 percent women. Programs: Broadcast, Cable; WNBA: Regular Season, NBA: Regular Season. The World Series, for example, averaged 2.9 million viewers among women 55+ 6.6% of the 44.3 million women in that demographic. Today's news reinforces that. While the WNBA does not garner the same audience as the NBA does, the women involved in the league are doing some amazing things. Their impact on transgender awareness has been felt by queer journalists and athletes who hope to see Clarendon continue to change the landscape of the WNBA. There were many highlights in this report card. "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. Ogunbowale ended up onEllen. Through June, WNBA games on ESPN2 are averaging 250,000 viewers, a39 percent improvementfrom last year and the best start for the league since 2013. This season included 11 windows on broadcast television (ABC + CBS), the league's most in a season since at least two decades (NBC carried 10 in 2001 and 2002). Serrano saw the tweet. . A paid subscription is required for full access. [and without] leav[ing] anyone left behind, as WNBPA President Nneka Ogwumike emphasized. ", 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. In OT, the Bulldogs pulled away. By all metrics, WNBA Viewership is increasing in all the most important areas. 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. Number of viewers of the WNBA Finals on ESPN from 2003 to 2022 (in 1,000s) [Graph]. Support our commitment to credible conservative news. Organizers and union leaders are drawing attention to old-school union-busting by new-economy employers, high-profile companies are employing migrant child workers, and new prospective Labor Secretary candidates are entering the conversation. Currently, you are using a shared account. Show publisher information There won't be a youth movement, either, as just 7% of baseball's audience is below age 18. And while the players and their on and Read more, With the NBA Finals starting this week we thought it would be a great time to take a look at some of the most frequently asked questions when it comes to basketball shoes. Morning Consult. Plum notes the difference in narratives between the two leagues. Lets take a look at a some of the differences between the two leagues. Before, WNBA Players with less than four years of experience had to room with a teammate. ", National Basketball Association all-time triple double leaders 1946-2022, Value of National Basketball Association franchises 2022, National Basketball Association all-time assists leaders 1946-2023. The WNBA has many players with college The WNBA scored 98.3 points for racial hiring practices and 96.8 points for gender hiring practices in 2021 and continued to set an example for inclusive racial and gender hiring practices across all professional leagues. Sep 22, 2022 The 2022 Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) regular season games were watched by an average of 379 thousand viewers across ESPN, ESPN2, and ABC. Uber and Lyft drivers in New York City go on strike, Hyundai divests from an Alabama factory due to child labor violations. 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). And even if hes not a good case study, hes, at the very least, a good story about figurative ear flicking and the womens game. The WNBA basketball also weighs in at 2 ounces lighter than a typical NBA basketball. Its just empty complaining Put in the advertising and get eyeballs watching.