When it feels like everyone is piling in one side of a trade, I believe it's CNBC's job to look at the other side. So, what's the bear case for women's sports?
A version of this article first appeared in the CNBC Sport newsletter with Alex Sherman, which brings you the biggest news and exclusive interviews from the worlds of sports business and media. Sign up to receive future editions, straight to your inbox. Last week, when I spoke to media executive-turned-investor Jeff Zucker , he said the biggest story in sports business right now is the growth of women's sports. .
It was the most-watched WNBA regular season ever across ESPN platforms, up 170% from last year with an average of 1.2 million viewers per game.WNBA merchandise sales from the league's online store and in-person New York City location were up a combined 601% from 2023, according to a league spokesperson.
And if streamers end up taking over for broadcast networks as the major buyers of rights, they may strike deals for women's sports similar to Apple's deal with the MLS, Michael said. That deal is predicated on the MLS reaching certain subscriber goals to get paid more by Apple."Less established sports that may not be able to deliver the types of subscriber numbers across a national platform may suffer when they're told the money is no longer guaranteed," he said.
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