The NBA is a global juggernaut due to the ever increasing popularity of the sport. Its revenue is increasing season-upon-season as it expands into all corners of the globe, especially the Chinese market where it has become entrenched as a result of pre-season games being hosted in Beijing and Shanghai on a perennial basis since 2008.
Regular season games have also been played out of the United States in the United Kingdom and Mexico, further driving up the revenue of the sport. Inside the USA, only the NFL can match the popularity of the highest level of basketball, although the NBA boasts a longer campaign with the opportunity to gain higher viewing figures over nine months of the season.
The NBA posts an average revenue of $7.4b per year and that will only increase in the coming years with broadcast and sponsorship deals. Online streaming has handed the NBA along with every other sport another avenue to broadcast their game to the masses across the world. The players and the teams are the driving force. Spectators pay in their millions to watch the best.
Everyone wants to see LeBron James, Steph Curry, Giannis Antetokounmpo and James Harden operate at the peak of their powers. It’s the highest form of the sport and it’s why their salaries are so significant, with Curry leading the market at the moment earning $40m per season over the next three years. However, the next generation of talent led by Antetokounmpo could well edge that towards the $50m mark within the next five years.
It’s a stark contrast to the WNBA. The highest salary in the league is $215,000 that is currently paid to Connecticut Sun forward DeWanna Bonner. The 33-year-old is a two-time WNBA Champion and three-time All Star. Her salary will escalate to $234,936 by the end of her contract in 2024, given her total earnings of $899,480 over the course of a four-year deal. It’s still a very good living to make, but a staggering difference from her male counterparts.
The rules and regulations of the NBA and WNBA are extremely similar – the biggest difference between the NBA and WNBA comes in the financial structure. The NBA is a money-making machine with billions at their disposal. The WNBA is modest in comparison because of the lack of cash available from television deals among others, boasting a total revenue of $60m per season.
In comparison, the WNBA receives $25m from ESPN, which filters down to the 12 franchises roughly at $2m per team. The NBA collects over $2.6b from ESPN and Turner Sports for the broadcast rights for each season. It’s an incredible difference and why the likes of Curry and LeBron, who are wealthy enough in their own right with personal endorsement deals with Under Armour and Nike, are paid such significant sums.
NBA players do earn their money on the court. At most they can play 105 games per season, and for players of the ilk of LeBron and Curry – they have played significant minutes on the court in drives to NBA Championships. Stadia are full to the brim for an average NBA game – especially if the Los Angeles Lakers or Golden State Warriors are in the midst of a title run. The NBA averages 18,000 fans per game in the regular season, triple that of the WNBA. The viewing figures are also off the charts in comparison with an average of 231,000 tuning in for the WNBA, while 15.4m watched the 2019 NBA Finals.
Eyeballs generate cash and it’s the reason why the NBA is such a powerhouse. As long as people continue to flood to the NBA in their millions – the salaries of its star will continue to dwarf that of the WNBA.
