"Caitlin Clark and her army of fans are the WNBA's most valuable business asset. Not the most valuable player (at least not yet) ... but business asset. Clark's arrival in the spring of 2024 sent the league's television ratings, attendance, media rights, sponsorships and franchise evaluations soaring. Overnight, billionaires were fighting to pay $250 million for teams of their own. Clark offered more than just logo-3 highlights. She gave the league hope."
"The WNBA's No. 1 goal should be to take that massive base of fans who followed Clark from Iowa and turn them into fans of the entire league ... not just a single player or team. It doesn't matter how or why new customers arrive. Everything should be about seizing the opportunity to make them regulars by selling them on the strong product already playing out on a nightly basis."
Caitlin Clark's arrival in spring 2024 produced dramatic increases in WNBA television ratings, attendance, media-rights interest, sponsorships and franchise valuations. Billionaires began bidding roughly $250 million for teams as the league's commercial profile surged. The league's primary objective should be converting Clark's large, newly engaged fan base into regular fans of the entire league rather than of a single player. Rookie contracts around $75,000 annually significantly underpay rising stars, creating internal tension. A commissioner remark suggesting Clark should be grateful for off-court earnings intensified scrutiny and raised concerns about league strategy and player valuation.
Read at ESPN.com
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