Five Out: Rickea Jackson gets a shoe deal, some media rights thoughts and hey! The Olympics are on!

It’s the Olympic break so we’re talking the business, marketing and facilities of the WNBA. Andrew’s thoughts on women’s basketball for the week of July 29, 2024.

With a long break in WNBA action, Five Out this week will explore a bit of my favorite subjects: sports business and the art of television. I’ve been in broadcasting for nine years now and still work as a reporter for one of the Paramount/CBS News Owned & Operated stations. It is, quite literally, my job. So while I might go a bit long here, I hope this week’s column will pull back the curtain on how some of the sausage is made from a programming and producing standpoint.

What can you expect from us this week at No Cap Space?

• On Tuesday, we’ve got a great Luxury Tax feature/podcast/video interview with Fairfield head coach Carly Thibault-DuDonis and her assistant coach Blake DuDonis. The two discuss how they met, maintaining a relationship and marriage through coaching, as well as their bold plan: to turn Fairfield into the Gonzaga of the northeast.

• We’ll have a couple of different recaps and rapid reactions to some Olympic matchups. There’s games on Monday (some that will have concluded — Nigeria with the upset! — by the time this publishes), Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday. Plenty of ball over here!

• If you missed last week’s edition of The Legendarium, you can find it here. It introduces you to the first dynasty in the modern era of women’s basketball: Immaculata University. We also have it in podcast and video form.

1. Rickea Jackson’s shoe deal is the best evidence yet of the WNBA’s long term marketing viability.

It’s easy to make an argument for the league’s growth as a whole when Caitlin Clark gets an eight figure shoe deal from Nike. It’s easy to argue that A’ja Wilson’s pre-Olympic press run, from Marie Claire to Bleacher Report, means that we are starting to see more coverage equity in the W.

But L.A. Sparks rookie Rickea Jackson’s deal with Skechers, one that includes a signature shoe, is the best piece of evidence yet that the WNBA’s general marketing viability is here to stay. Over the past few seasons, new business players have entered the women’s basketball season to endorse athletes. Puma famously signed Breanna Stewart in 2021 and gave her a signature shoe. New Balance made Cameron Brink the first WNBA athlete on their roster in 2023 while Angel Reese confirmed at the All-Star game that she’s getting a signature shoe with Reebok. While those are monumental in their own right, I’d argue Jackson’s is a bigger deal.

Why, you might ask?

Jackson isn’t a superstar on or off the court just yet. She’s an exceptional rookie, one that this columnist believes is going to be a star in the league very soon. She’s been buried under an avalanche of Clark/Reese content and is stuck on a team that appears to be tanking for Paige Bueckers while her rookie running mate is on the bench with a torn ACL. Whatever one may think of Angel Reese as a basketball player, for better or worse, she’s got superstar aura. This is a woman that is at the Met Gala, draped in Dior in Paris before the Olympics and is on stage dancing with Megan Thee Stallion. It’s about more than basketball with her. Conversely, it’s all about basketball with Caitlin Clark. From her shoes to her brand deals, she’s about hoops. Both serve a place in the ecosystem and that’s fine.

But with Jackson, she’s not in either tier just yet. She’s, for all intents and purposes (and I say this with the utmost respect), just a player in the league right now. That she is able to be courted by a shoe brand that is making a legit effort to enter the basketball realm (they have Joel Embiid and Julius Randle leading their NBA group) is immensely impressive. It also speaks to the faith that these brands have in this rookie class and the next young crop of players. It’s really good that a smaller brand on the scene like Skechers is entering the scene, wants a WNBA player and a rookie to be their anchor. Jackson’s profile is ascending on social media, her game is improving each time she’s on the floor and she’s based in Los Angeles. In short, she’s got the juice. So while it’s cool to see Reese be the face of Reebok, Clark, Wilson and Sabrina Ionescu have their own Nike shoes and Brink holding it down for New Balance, Jackson’s entry into the field is one of the most underrated endorsement deals of the year.

2. Was the WNBA media rights really an underpay? It’s a more complicated answer than you think.

Alright, settle in folks because we are about to get in the weeds. Is the $2.2 billion, 11 year deal an undervaluation of the WNBA’s worth? I don’t think so and I’ll explain why in due time. But first, a note on Cheryl Miller and Terri Jackson of the WNBPA. They are absolutely right to say the number should be higher. That’s absolutely what you should do when you are gearing up for a labor battle. At absolutely no point should you accept what you’re getting and not try to squeeze every single drop out of the owners until you get what’s owed. It’s the way it works.

But, objectively, the number is in roughly the right ballpark and I get why the deal is structured the way it is.

The first reason boils down to inventory. In TV world, networks have what’s called a programming department. These folks do everything from build broadcast schedules to the actual work getting rights deals done. If you’re running a 24 hour network (think an ESPN, for instance), a big part of your job is making sure that there are enough things to fill all your time blocks throughout the day. Sometimes that’s original programming or studio shows, sometimes it’s live events, sometimes it’s reruns and other times its’ time buys (where you will be paid to air programming in a specific block). Right now, live events are more precious than gold and saffron put together. It’s the only thing keeping broadcast TV afloat. They cost money to produce, but they also print money on the back end. They’re advertiser friendly, high in viewer retention and can occupy multiple time blocks especially if you add shoulder programming (a pre/post game show usually).

There is only one sports league that benefits from its scarcity and that’s the NFL. Every other products worth is based not just in their TV ratings but the massive inventory they provide these networks. It’s a big reason why your local regional sports channel is dying. NBC Sports California doesn’t have anything to air on a July Tuesday if the A’s aren’t playing (or are in Oakland, for that matter). The NBA, for their part, is providing over 270 games to ESPN, NBC and Amazon in their TV deal. Then factor in Amazon taking over League Pass and the broadcast partners have access to distribution to the 1,230 total games in an NBA season.

That’s a lot of turkey.

The WNBA, on the other hand, will be giving 125 games to their broadcast partners. There are more deals on the table though, from ION to CBS (more on that in a moment). But factor in that there’s only 12 teams in this league and 40 games in a season. That’s 240 games in total. Nearly 1,000 less games than the NBA. When live events are currency, the WNBA simply has less of it. That’s no fault of theirs at present. That total number will increase with San Francisco and Toronto’s entrance to the league and will again when more expansion franchises enter the fold. The ratings are there but the inventory doesn’t justify a massive price tag just yet.

The other issue at play is the concept of growth. There is no denying that the WNBA is enjoying a ratings renaissance this year. The All-Star game shattered its’ viewership record with 3.4 million people tuning in, making it the most watched broadcast since 1997. In the first half of the WNBA season, 16 games averaged over 1 million. Clark and the Fever are featured in 14 of those 16. The ratings are climbing but there is a novelty factor to consider.

While WNBA ratings have risen every year (from 205,000 average viewers in 2020 to 505,000 in 2023), this year represents an out of the ordinary bump. Are the Clark/Reese viewers here to stay past this season? I, and many others, think yes. But no business in today’s world will bank on that promise. While it’s easy to see the pipeline of players, from Paige Bueckers to Milaysia Fulwiley to JuJu Watkins and see the trend line go up it doesn’t surprise me a broadcasting company whose finances hinge on a business undergoing a tectonic shift not feel safe overspending up front.

The league has an out to re-evaluate the deal independently in 2028 (what we at No Cap Space jokingly call ‘the JuJu Clause’) and they’d be fools to not do it the first chance they get. But for now? I can understand why the money is where it is. $200 million a year is a great starting point. Now the players need to fight tooth and nail to get their share.

3. Peacock’s Gold Zone is a game changer for Olympics viewing and it comes at a perfect time for women’s basketball.

Folks, the Gold Zone kicks absolute ass. No way around it. I know viewers might not like the fact that there’s commercials but it’s either that or your subscription price gets hiked. That’s just the way it is sometimes. Regardless, the Gold Zone is one of the few examples of how a streaming world can actually enhance the viewing experience in sports. What makes it so good is that the producers make the effort to show you all the sports. It's not just the Americans or the biggest sports like basketball or gymnastics only. Scott Hanson is sitting there giving you the men’s fencing gold medal match between a Tunisian and South Korean and buddy let me tell you I was LOCKED in.

Here’s why this is so good for women’s basketball.

Right now, the more exposure the sport has, the better. It has to be put in front of eyes that aren’t searching for it. So when Gold Zone kicks over to China vs. Spain women’s basketball, that’s a subset of people seeing those teams and players for the first time. They’re watching noted Spanish citizen Megan Gustafson go off for nearly 30 points against Li Yueru’s China. They’ll be watching Emma Meeseman and the Belgians try to go to toe to toe with the Americans. The more variance we get, the better. At a time when the sport is getting its closeup, it needs TV executives and producers making the conscious decision to show it. With the Gold Zone being such a smash hit that clearly seems aimed at fulfilling the mission statement of the Olympics (showing the best of the best in every event), it could not be a better showcase for the sport. There’s no Caitlin Clark and plenty of ink has been spilled over that decision. But even without her, the sport worldwide appears to primed for a breakthrough and the producers at NBC Olympics are pushing it along every time they press the button to take a game in full.

4. The Chicago Sky are building a new practice facility. LA Sparks, you are on the clock!

Can’t argue there’s not an Angel Reese effect, at least in Chicago! The news that the Sky will be building a $38 million practice facility in Bedford Park is a welcome one for a franchise that has lost players in the past because of its unwillingness to spend. With the Las Vegas Aces, New York Liberty and now Phoenix Mercury throwing down the gauntlet to try and entice the best in the game to play there, it’s a new world in the WNBA. Open up the wallet or get left behind. Bedford Park might not be the best neighborhood but there’s two pieces to it that makes sense. The first is the Sky’s commitment to trying to invest in underfunded areas of Chicago and the second is that these players won’t be living in Bedford Park. With salaries set to increase in a new potential collective bargaining agreement, the Sky’s roster will be taken care of.

To say this is a glow up for Chicago is an understatement. We all saw the video of Angel Reese’s practice facility announcement at the start of the year. It was embarrassing for the organization, let’s keep it real. But in moving out of a public recreation center in Deerfield, it gives the players the opportunity to feel like professionals and brings their facility a little closer to Chicago proper. Within the new facility will be recovery rooms, a private kitchen, two courts and a content creation as well as beauty stations.

It’s clear that the Sky owners are seeing the financial windfall around the bend and are preparing for a life in the new look WNBA. It’s just as clear that they know what they have in Reese in particular. Much like Clark, she’s printing money for her franchise and they don’t plan on fumbling that bag. Now, attention turns to the other franchises behind the 8-ball. Los Angeles is practicing at El Camino College, the Wings are on the UT Arlington campus and the Dream are 23 miles away in a development academy facility. Who’s gonna spend next?

5. Unrivaled is loading up on talent. How long until the WNBA starts to worry?

The 3x3 league is starting to make some waves. Right now, the venture co-founded by Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart has 10 of 30 players announced and committed. Some of the players were expected. Phee and Stewie, obviously. Jackie Young and Kelsey Plum were nice adds. Jewell Loyd? Sure. Rhyne Howard? We like it.

But Angel Reese?

That signals that Unrivaled is not playing around. I’ve said it up and down this column but Reese is a needle mover for brands. To get her was a major coup for what the league wants to be and how competitive it wants to be.

So at what point does the WNBA start to worry?

I don’t mean it in the sense of Unrivaled overtaking the W (at least, not yet). But any league that is paying the highest average salary in women’s professional sports league history while offering equity stakes is something worth watching. It’s a league model based around the idea, in Collier’s words, “on that principle that players deserve compensation and ownership that reflects their value.”

But is an owner gonna be cool with the potential injury risk? It’s meant to keep players fresh, working in concert to promote and optimize the product. Miami will be the home base but the long term hope is taking the show on the road. Will there be charters? Who will front those costs? And are owners going to be fine compensating players with money that will go into essentially another league entirely?

While they might not mean for it to be, Collier and Stewart have inadvertently created a phenomenal bargaining chip in a labor fight. If the rubber were to ever meet the road and a labor dispute between the WNBPA and the WNBA reached strike potential, there’s a league that can be built out from 3x3 to 5x5 with deep pocketed owners and an equitable salary and ownership structure. That should scare the living hell out of W ownership and make for a very fascinating CBA discussion in the next few years.