WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert raves about historic $2.2 billion media deal, promises unprecedented exposure

WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert is taking the league to new heights after the league was incorporated into the NBA's new TV rights contract, which would pay the association billions after the 2024–25 season. The WNBA benefited from the NBA's multi-year deals with NBC, Amazon, and Disney, as the league's media rights worth tripled.

Engelbert spoke about the impact of this new deal and what it means for the future of the league on the Good Morning America show.

"[This deal is] monumental and historic. I've been calling it historic because I think about when I came into the league, we only had 80 of our 200+ games being shown on national platforms and now it's over 200. So, if you build it, they will come," she said.

"The media rights for women's sports have been undervalued for too long but a $2.2 billion deal with ABC, ESPN, Disney, as well as NBC coming and Amazon."

She added that with all the technology changes happening, it's a good time to expand the platforms that broadcast WNBA games.

"So, if you look at the media landscape and its structure and the streaming coming in," Engelbert added. "Now everybody has their own streaming platform. It's a great time to be in the market.

"The interest in the WNBA has never been higher, the attendance this year and viewership. We're averaging over a million viewers on all four of our national platforms. It's amazing."

WNBA Commissioner shares surprise about two rookies bringing more eyes to the league

Speaking on the surge in interest in women's basketball, Cathy Engelbert credited Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese for taking the league to new heights, saying that she didn't think it would happen as fast as it did.

"These generational rookies like Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, that rivalry coming out of college. So, I didn't know it would happen this quickly, but the attendance, the viewership, and everything has gone great," Engelbert said.

Clark and Reese are in the middle of a fierce race for the 2024 WNBA Rookie of the Year award. They finished the first half of the season on a strong note and once the competition returns, plenty of eyes will be on them.