The WNBA has never been the same ever since the Indiana Fever drafted Caitlin Clark with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 Draft.
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That is to say, the hype surrounding the Iowa standout has now led to a new media deal, which is reportedly worth $2.2 billion dollars for an 11-year TV rights contract, per The Athletic.
The WNBA’s next national media rights package has come into shape, sources tell @MikeVorkunov.
The NBA negotiated the WNBA’s new deals during its just-completed rights talks. ESPN, NBC and Amazon will all have their own WNBA packages.
More:https://t.co/lDH5eBTB40 pic.twitter.com/ImxR08NGzy
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) July 17, 2024
Notably, when doing the math, this means the annual amount is $200 million, which is quadruple what the last media deal had been worth (around $50 million).
Thanks to all the attention that Clark has brought to women's basketball, the WNBA is now seen as a mainstream sports league, which is why the rise in popularity has been dubbed, "The Caitlin Clark effect."
A part of the deal will include games airing on ESPN, NBC and Amazon. And in regards to this season's viewership, it seems that most fans are only interested in tuning in to watch Clark play.
Most viewed #WNBA games this season
The yellow ones featured Caitlin Clark and the Fever pic.twitter.com/0KWQa6IQd6
— Clark Report (@CClarkReport) July 16, 2024
Clark has certainly grown the WNBA game, even on an international level, as the 22-year-old told a story about landing in China for the first time.
"I arrived in Beijing and guess what I see at the airport? A Chinese man wearing an Iowa hat. I naturally said, 'Go Hawks.' He didn't speak English but responded, 'Caitlin Clark.'
In regards to how Clark has performed so far in her rookie season, she and her counterpart/rival Angel Reese are in a heated battle for Rookie of the Year, as both have been selected to the WNBA All-Star team. In 25 games played so far this season, Clark has averaged 16.8 points (39.8% FG; 33.2% 3PT), 5.8 rebounds, 7.8 assists, 1.5 steals, and 0.9 blocks.
Related: Lebron Has Empathy For Caitlin Clark: 'I've Walked That Road Before'
