WNBA agrees new media rights, CBA

The WNBA’s two biggest business changes for 2026 were not unveiled in a single May 20 announcement. The league had already locked in its next national media packages and finalized a new collective bargaining agreement in March, according to WNBA and WNBPA releases. Together, those moves reset how games are distributed and how players are paid as the league’s 30th season gets underway. The labor deal is a seven-year agreement running from 2026 through 2032, while the media agreements beginning in 2026 stretch as far as 2036 with multiple partners. The league said the new CBA includes a revenue-sharing system, a much higher salary cap and expanded benefits; the media side adds broad national distribution across broadcast, cable and streaming. ### So what was actually agreed, and when? (wnba.com) March 20, 2026 was the date the WNBA and the Women’s National Basketball Players Association said they reached a tentative new collective bargaining agreement. The league said the deal was pending ratification by players and the Board of Governors at that stage. March 24, 2026 was the date the WNBA said its Board of Governors unanimously ratified the terms. (wnba.com) The league said the agreement begins with the 2026 season and runs through 2032, and that the sides would then finalize the long-form document. Separate reporting cited the WNBPA as saying players also ratified the deal in a unanimous vote. July 24, 2024 was the date the WNBA announced its main 11-year national media agreements with Disney, Amazon Prime Video and NBCUniversal, all beginning with the 2026 season. (wnba.com) The league later added an expanded CBS Sports package on March 25, 2026 and a USA Network agreement with VERSANT, announced on September 30, 2025. ### How much bigger is the new pay system? The WNBA said the new compensation system is expected to deliver more than $1 billion in player salaries and benefits over the life of the agreement. (wnba.com) The league also said the 2026 salary cap would rise to $7.0 million from $1.5 million in 2025. The same March 20 release said year-one maximum salaries would rise to $1.4 million, average salaries would exceed $583,000, and minimum salaries would range up to $300,000 based on years of service. (wnba.com) The league described the system as the first comprehensive revenue-sharing model in women’s professional sports history. ### What changed on benefits besides salary? The March 20 WNBA release said the deal includes “landmark investments” in player experience, retirement benefits and veteran recognition payments. (wnba.com) The league framed those provisions alongside the salary changes as part of a broader rewrite of player compensation and working conditions. The WNBPA’s public CBA materials now include summaries covering benefits, player-related expenses, training camps, offseason tournaments and marketing agreements. (wnba.com) Those materials indicate the union is publishing article-by-article guidance as the full agreement is implemented. ### Where will WNBA games air under the new rights setup? Disney, Amazon and NBCUniversal will distribute more than 125 regular-season and playoff games nationally each season from 2026 through 2036, the WNBA said in its 2024 announcement. (wnba.com) Disney’s games will air on ABC, ESPN or ESPN2; NBCUniversal’s on NBC, USA Network or Peacock; and Amazon’s on Prime Video. September 30, 2025 added a dedicated USA Network package of at least 50 games annually under VERSANT’s agreement, including regular-season and some playoff and Finals games in select years. (wnbpa.com) March 25, 2026 added up to 20 regular-season games annually on CBS and Paramount+, which CBS said would all air on broadcast television for the 2026 season. ### Did the league say anything about governance or rule enforcement? (wnba.com) The official WNBA releases reviewed here do not mention a new crackdown on teams “that bypass league bylaws for extra revenue,” and they do not describe “tighter officiating rules” as a headline term of the CBA. Those claims appeared in social-media discussion, but the league’s published announcements focused on compensation, benefits, revenue sharing and media distribution. (wnba.com) The next concrete rollout items are scheduling and implementation. CBS said its full 2026 WNBA schedule would be announced later, and USA Network said its 2026 programming schedule and on-air details would be released in the coming months, while the WNBA and WNBPA said they would complete the long-form CBA document. (wnba.com 1) (wnba.com 2)