WNBA, WNBPA CBA deal reached

WNBA, WNBPA CBA deal reached

March 19, 2025

WNBA and union reach verbal CBA deal, season to start on time
The WNBA and WNBPA have reached a verbal agreement on a CBA after 17 months. The league and the union had whittled their crucial revenue share divide to only a 4% difference, and a compromise was reached approximately two hours after midnight.
“For the first time, player salaries are tied to a truly meaningful share of league revenue, driving exponential growth in the salary cap, increasing average compensation beyond half a million dollars, and raising the professional standard across facilities, staffing, and support,” Ogwumike said later in a statement.
^{Sports Business Journal}

Kraft Heinz seals deal as NFL official condiment partner ahead of draft in Pittsburgh
The NFL signed d a five-year agreement with Kraft Heinz, naming it the league’s first-ever official condiment partner. The partnership kicks off in April during the NFL Draft, which takes place in Pittsburgh — just a few miles from the birthplace of Heinz in Sharpsburg. The sponsorship includes Heinz, Kraft, Velveeta, Philadelphia, Classico, A1 and other brands, and will position Kraft Heinz with premium stadium and gameday visibility, and at select overseas football games.
^{Trib Live}

How Coca-Cola’s World Cup marketing is ‘de-averaging at scale’
Coca-Cola North America is going to greater detail around its partnership with sports memorabilia firm Panini America. The brand will include the FIFA partner’s collectible stickers directly behind the labels on 20oz Coke and Coke Zero Sugar bottles. Coke’s collaboration with Panini ties the brand to a long-running tradition in soccer, first introduced during the 1970 World Cup, that sees fans fill booklets with stickers capturing the players, teams and iconography of each tournament.
^{Marketing Drive}

NBC Sports’ Coverage Of The Players Championship Final Round Delivers Largest Audience Since 2021
NBC Sports’ presentation of THE PLAYERS Championship on Sunday averaged 4.4 million viewers across NBC and Peacock. This is the event’s largest final round audience since 2021. It is also up 15% from the rain-impacted final round in 2025. Viewership for Sunday’s final round peaked at 7.1 million viewers from 5:45-6 p.m. ET as champion Cameron Young birdied the 17th hole and hit a 375-yard drive to put him in position to par No. 18.
^{NBC Sports}

Venezuela Stuns the Field, Upsets U.S. for Its First WBC Championship
Venezuela claimed it first WBC title in the event’s 20-year history. They defeated the U.S. team 3-2 as it held the Americans to just three hits. The Venezuelans won in front of a 36,190 crowd inside loanDepot Park. The Venezuelan team featured several MLB stars, including the Braves’ Ronald Acuña Jr. and the Brewers’ Jackson Chourio, and its players will collectively earn $187 million in the league this year. That figure, however, pales against the comparable $311 million across the U.S. team, further showing the nature of the upset that unfolded. 
^{Front Office Sports}

EnergyAustralia deal marks renewable play by Marvel Stadium
The Australian Football League, owner and operator of Marvel Stadium, has hailed a significant step forward in its sustainability strategy through a new partnership with EnergyAustralia. The energy retailer has agreed a five-year contract to serve as the official energy partner of the Melbourne venue, as well as the AFL and AFLW.
^{The Stadium Business}

NFLPA elects former OL JC Tretter as next executive director
Former union chief strategy officer and retired Cleveland Browns offensive lineman JC Tretter was elected the new executive director of the NFL Players Association. The NFLPA has been searching for a permanent leader since July, when then-executive director Lloyd Howell Jr. resigned following ESPN reporting that he had charged a pair of strip club visits to the union.
^ESPN

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Explaining March Madness payouts and how schools make millions
Between the women's and the men's NCAA Tournament, the conferences represented each receive a portion of the nearly $250 million in total money that the NCAA gives out. NCAA uses a system called the "unit", which pays conferences based on how they do in the tournament in a given season. That's why it's important to have as many teams from your conference as possible make it to the Big Dance, to increase your chances of getting the highest payout. The men's tournament will have a prize pool of $220 million to divvy up, while the women's share is around $20 million.
^{Yahoo Sports}

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