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The current WNBA Collective Bargaining Agreement between the league and players expires following the 2025 season, and it appears that the players have to plenty of aspects they’d like to change. One of those aspects appears to be what channel or streaming service the league broadcasts its games on.
The WNBA announced Friday that it has agreed to a new multi-year deal with Scripps to continue to air games on Ion TV. But a representative for the Player’s Association tells Front Office Sports that it was not a part of that decision despite expressing prior interest in being involved.
“The commissioner expressed support for their involvement in those talks. The union noted that it didn’t happen this time,” a union source told Colin Salao of Front Office Sports.
The WNBA Could Well Be Headed Toward A Work Stoppage Prior To The 2025 Season
While player’s unions are typically not involved in such agreements, the WNBA players had previously been extremely vocal about their plans to have much more of a say in the future league than what is typically the case.
That includes issuing the threat of a work stoppage should they not receive their “rightful share of business” in the upcoming CBA talks.
“We are ready to lead transformational change — change that goes beyond women’s sports and sets a precedent for something greater,” WNBPA president Nneka Ogwumike said in October after the players announced they were opting out of the current agreement following the 2025 season.
“Opting out isn’t just about bigger paychecks — it’s about claiming our rightful share of the business we’ve built, improving working conditions, and securing a future where the success we create benefits today’s players and the generations to come,” she added. “We’re not just asking for a CBA that reflects our value; we’re demanding it, because we’ve earned it.”
The WNBA is growing at an exponential rate. And it’s reasonable for players to want to ensure a fair share that growth. But it seems as if the two sides are nowhere close to one another as they head toward a pivotal labor negotiation.