The new agreement also addresses one of the biggest issues facing stakeholders: revenue sharing. They currently receive about 20-30% of the league`s revenue. The new contract calls for a 50-50 revenue-sharing model by 2021, when the league will meet its revenue growth targets through broadcast agreements, marketing partnerships and licensing agreements. The WNBA`s new collective bargaining agreement comes with significant wage increases, improved travel accommodation and paid maternity leave, according to a press release from the league and players` association. Given the unattractive prospect of playing the 2020 season without a new collective agreement, the WNBA and the Women`s National Basketball Players Association agreed Tuesday on the principle of a new CBA that, if ratified by WNBA players and the WNBA Board of Governors, will run until 2027. The new CBA is poised to provide WNBA players with significant improvements in salary and benefits, while assuring league officials that their players will prioritize the WNBA over foreign leagues. The WNBA made history by announcing that on January 14, the league and the Women`s National Basketball Players Association (WNBPA) agreed in principle to a new collective agreement that will run until 2027, with significant improvements in players` salaries, travel conditions and maternity leave. Although Diggins-Smith, 29, negotiated to receive their full salary during maternity leave, many players only receive half of their salary during that time. (They`re also blocked to indicate they`re not actively playing.) “If you`re pregnant, you shouldn`t be blamed for it,” she says. With the new contract, players will receive their full salary throughout the holidays, and experienced players (those who have played at least one season) will receive up to $60,000 to cover costs associated with adoption, surrogacy and IVF treatments. In the past, mothers had to pay their own childcare expenses (for example. B hotel and nanny`s plane ticket); Under the new agreement, they will receive a $5,000 bursary. In addition, the ABC states that players now have a private place to pump.
At least $1.6 million in off-season marketing agreements with leagues and teams that would recognize excellence and showcase the diversity of the league and create up to $300,000 in additional annual cash compensation for selected players. – At least $750,000 in prizes for special competitions starting with the 2021 season. New revenue share at 50-50 starting in the 2021 season, based on achieving the league`s revenue growth goals through broadcast agreements, marketing partnerships and licensing agreements. – Increase in cash bonuses for performance bonuses (e.g. B for the WNBA MVP and Rookie of the Year) and newly created cash bonuses (for example. B, for each player named to the WNBA All-Defensive First Team). Benefits of pregnancyIt was no secret that the last ABC was archaic in its language. He listed “pregnancy” as a condition (this CBA follows this line, but we`ll get to that later) and players who became pregnant during the season had only 50% of their salary for their pregnancy leave. This is one of the areas on which the new ABC has focused: the modern woman. This is one of the first major sports collective agreements to do so in this way. “We have approached these negotiations with a player-focused agenda, and I am pleased that this agreement ensures significant increases in compensation and progressive benefits for WNBA women,” said WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert.
“I want to thank the players, led by WNBPA President Nneka Ogwumike and the WNBPA Executive Committee, as well as WNBPA Executive Director Terri Jackson, for their hard work, innovative thinking and professionalism throughout the process. I also want to thank the League`s Labour Relations Committee and Board of Governors for their investment, dedication and leadership as we look forward to working together to make the WNBA a sustainable and successful business for generations of female basketball players. Every WNBA player enters the 2020 season with a win of any kind. (The season was scheduled for September 15. May, but was postponed due to COVID-19. The WNBA will host a virtual draft on April 17, which will air on ESPN`s main channel for the first time in history.) In January, the league`s players` association agreed with the WNBA on a new collective bargaining agreement (CLC) that heralds a better future for a sport that has historically marginalized women`s rights. The new contract has not yet been approved by the League`s Board of Governors. It was overwhelmingly passed by players just hours after the WNBA announced the deal — the text of which has not been released — with what National Basketball Players Association President Nneka Ogwumike called “unprecedented voter turnout for female players.” Under the new CBA, the league will also have to give $1.6 million a year for the league`s marketing deals, with a cap of $250,000 for a single player, according to the New York Times. That`s a considerable amount of money that can convince a team`s best player to stay home during the offseason. Other highlights include an improved player experience in terms of travel and childcare expenses, as well as expanded career development opportunities out of season.
The landmark deal also includes a more liberal free agency system and a more robust and fair revenue-sharing model based on the league`s revenue growth. The WNBA also announced today the creation of a unique collective – WNBA Changemakers – that brings together value-driven companies that are leaders in promoting women through sport. This new platform is designed to directly support the WNBA in its transformation into marketing, branding, and player and fan experience. With a new approach to sports sponsorship, changemakers are eager to drive positive change for the WNBA, women`s sport and women in society. The first agents of change are AT&T, Deloitte and Nike. At a time when the U.S. Women`s National Soccer Team and the U.S. Soccer is fighting in court over wage gaps and questionable working conditions, WNBA players and their league have had productive negotiations. These negotiations resulted in a mutually beneficial agreement in the workplace and most likely a more marketable league for fans and consumers. “With cautious optimism and confidence in the league`s renewed commitment and investment, players have shown a willingness to `lean in` and show even greater commitment and investment in the W,” said Terri Jackson, WNBPA Executive Director. “This new agreement includes significant gains at all levels, and everything is in place for our players and the league to thrive.” A sharp increase in players` salaries across the league is perhaps the most notable element of the new deal.
This suggests that what the league has said is a 53% increase in total cash compensation, which includes salary, additional performance bonuses, prize pools for newly created competitions during the season, and league and team marketing agreements. If the league achieves its revenue growth targets, revenue shared with players will be split, with 25% distributed to players and the remaining 25% as the league`s marketing and advertising agreements increase. While this is certainly a better model than the previous revenue share, which would only give players about 20% of revenue, it remains to be seen what that percentage will actually look like. The term “base players” that most members of the league wanted to abolish has survived in the new CBA, but its powers will diminish. The base player designation essentially works as a franchise label, so teams can force players to stay in place. .
