Union: WNBA made enough money for revenue sharing - ESPN

ESPN

by Katie Barnes

February 23, 2026

AI-Generated Deep Dive Summary

The WNBA achieved a historic milestone in 2025 by generating enough revenue to trigger its first-ever revenue sharing agreement with players. The league notified union leaders earlier this month that it had met the required benchmark, resulting in $8 million being distributed among the 13 teams to share with players. This marks the first time in WNBA history that revenue sharing has been activated under the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). While exact figures for league revenue and the threshold needed to trigger sharing remain undisclosed, the union confirmed that players will receive $8 million collectively, with individual payments based on participation in the 2025 season. The revenue targets outlined in the 2020 CBA were initially set using 2019 numbers, compounded by 20% annually. However, the COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted league revenues in 2020 and 2021, making these targets seem unattainable at the time. The achievement of these targets in 2025 reflects the league's recovery and growth despite past challenges. Union leaders, including Treasurer Brianna Turner, emphasized the significance of this milestone as a validation of players' contributions and value to the WNBA. Under the current CBA, players are entitled to 50% of shared revenue, defined as the amount exceeding a predetermined threshold minus 30% for expenses. In 2025, this equated to approximately $16 million, with half ($8 million) allocated directly to players and the other half ($8 million) designated for league marketing initiatives. These initiatives include offseason programs like jersey sales, video games, trading cards, and merchandise promotions, which aim to bolster brand visibility and player engagement. The union also announced plans to distribute $9.25 million in licensing revenue generated since 2020 from NIL deals and merchandise sales. This payment will be distributed among more than 25

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Originally published on ESPN on 2/23/2026