The WNBA plans to launch a full-time charter program starting this season, Commissioner Cathy Engelbert announced Tuesday.
“It’s a pretty historic moment for the league,” she told the Associated Press Sports Editors in New York. “I think the players will be delighted.”
The new travel program will launch “as soon as we can logistically get the planes there,” Engelbert said. She said funding an entire season of charter travel would cost about $25 million a year over the next two years.
News of a full charter program is momentous for the WNBA, which begins its 28th season on May 14 as viewership soars and a new generation of stars enters the league. However, Engelbert’s comments also came as a surprise, at least to some in the sport. By mid-afternoon Tuesday, several chief executives, who are not authorized to discuss the matter publicly, said Athleticism they were not informed of changes to travel plans before Engelbert’s announcement.
“I think the immediate response from everyone is great. What this all looks like, we’re still collecting information. We don’t know,” Aces coach Becky Hammon said. “But I think it’s definitely a good thing for our players in our league. and everyone is very happy, they won’t have to stay in security lines as much or as long. Fever coach Christie Sides called the decision a “turning point” on social media.
Incredible TURNING POINT in our league! Extremely happy for the players! They deserve this! #GoFever
– Christie Sides (@ChristieSides) May 7, 2024
Travel accommodations have long been a source of consternation for the league’s players, who primarily use commercial flights to get to road games. The CBA requires teams to book economy-plus tickets for players, and players must pay out of pocket for first-class accommodations. The WNBPA has previously argued that existing travel conditions pose health and safety concerns. A comprehensive charter program would eliminate the possibility of unwanted interactions, similar to what Phoenix Mercury center Brittney Griner encountered last June, when she was harassed at the Dallas Fort Worth Airport while on a road trip. trip by a social media provocateur.
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Players have also faced delays and cancellations over the years, and frequent coach travel is not ideal for tall athletes.
Tuesday’s announcement follows minor changes the league has made to travel accommodations in recent years. Last season, the WNBA expanded its charter policy and allowed private flights for the duration of the playoffs and some regular-season games, such as back-to-back contests, at a cost of $4 million. Engelbert said that with the league operating on a condensed schedule due to the mid-season Olympic break, there will be 14 consecutive games this season where charter flights will be used.
Before April’s WNBA Draft, Engelbert reiterated that the WNBA was not going to “jeopardize the financial viability of this league” to implement a league-wide, one-season charter program . She had highlighted the importance of upcoming media rights negotiations (and, therefore, an expected significant increase in revenues) as a way to achieve this. His current deal with ESPN runs through 2025.
“As our teams move to bigger arenas, they sell out bigger arenas. Given the momentum and growth in business at the team level – as well as the league level – this could only lead to the sale of our corporate partnerships. We’re seeing a big uptick there,” she said in explaining why the league was now considering a full charter program. “You need a long-term economic model to finance something as expensive as renting an entire season, for 12, soon 13, 16 teams. You need a long-term revenue model, and we didn’t have that.
WNBPA Executive Director Terri Jackson, however, previously argued that the league did not need to wait until all teams were able to charter flights for this to take effect. The New York Liberty was fined a record $500,000 for violating the collective bargaining agreement after repeatedly using charter planes during the second half of the 2021 season. Las Vegas Aces owner Mark Davis , also advocated for teams to have the option of using charter travel.
The upcoming WNBA season appears to be the most anticipated in years. The April draft averaged a record 2.446 million viewers, a 307 percent increase in viewership from last year, and was the most-watched WNBA telecast since 2000. An increase in ratings is expected to follow during the regular season, where Indiana Fever keeps Caitlin Clark and Chicago. Sky forward Angel Reese has further bridged the gap between the college game and the professional level. South Carolina’s 87-75 victory over Clark and Iowa on April 7 averaged 18.9 million viewers, the most-watched women’s college basketball game of all time and the highest-ranked basketball game -most watched college ball (men’s or women’s) ever recorded for an ESPN platform. The 2024 NCAA Women’s Final Four was the most watched on record, and the tournament as a whole was up 121% from 2023.
Nneka Ogwumike, President of the WNBPA issued a statement, stating: “I am pleased to see a significant change in policy that will enable and provide charter travel to all teams throughout the 2024 season and beyond. On behalf of the players, I express my appreciation and support for a bold decision by the commissioner and team governors which in turn shows that they understand and value the health and safety of the players. It’s time to be transformational. It’s time to focus on women!
— AthleticismSabreena Merchant’s contributed to this report.
(Photo by Cathy Engelbert: Sarah Stier/Getty Images)