By Daniel Akst Oct. 27, 2020 10:00 am ET Women in sports have come a long way since Babe Didrikson Zaharias and Billie Jean King. Yet the financial distance between today’s female pros and their male counterparts, whose earnings have soared into the stratosphere, is probably larger than ever.
DR. MATHESON: OK, I’m playing the heavy, so I’ll say it: The money isn’t there. The average WNBA team generates only about $5 million annually, while the typical NBA team grossed roughly $300 million last season. The new WNBA labor agreement will raise the players’ share of revenue to 50/50 as soon as 2021 if the league reaches certain revenue milestones. But even this would leave the average salary at around $200,000, up from $116,000 in 2019. That compares to $7.7 million for the NBA.
Women are expected to exhibit the “pink traits,” meaning to be kind, nurturing caretakers. Men are expected to exhibit “blue traits,” meaning to be tough, demanding, driven, intense. So when females exhibit blue traits, which of course are just traits of leadership, we are often held to a different standard.
DR. AGHA: As Coach Hutchins mentioned, it is not just female athletes who are underpaid, but female coaches as well. The source of that pay disparity is entirely a choice made by leaders, managers or athletic directors to undervalue the contributions of female coaches. Research from Lindsey Darvin, Ann Pegoraro, and David Berri found that male and female coaches had equivalent abilities to affect player performance. Male coaches do not get better results but are paid more.
Similarly, U.S. Soccer claims they cannot pay their men’s and women’s national teams equally because of revenue disparities. But they make scant efforts to promote and sell the women’s national team, whose members run the same number of laps, do the same number of sit-ups, and spend the same amount of time training.
Share Your ThoughtsWhat do think is behind the gender pay gap in sports? Join the conversation below.
the audience and size of the business the NBA creates more revenue and therefore are able to pay their players more.
interest
Glad I dont Patronize this Liberal Communist News.
Viewership is one without even reading the article. I can comfortably say when you draw a larger audience your paycheck will be larger
Interest & money 💰
Butts in seats.
Gosh, if only there were economists capable of solving this mystery.
You are a financial publication, are you not?
What is the WNBA?
Their play is about at the level of a high school boys' team. Next question.
Answer: It comes from how many people watch the games, attend the games, and purchase products. Profit comes from the customers! The NBA has many more customers than the WNBA.
Sports more important than education and Science. Beginnings of human extinction.
Because you can’t pay players who generated only $131 million in their showcase tournament the same as the players who generated $6 billion in theirs.
I don't think it is about inequality or discrimination, but more about economics and revenue generation. Professional men's sports generate more revenue and are more profitable, which means increased earnings for the employees. Regardless of talent, men's sports generate more 💵
Revenue generated.
turnover / income is presumably the reason.
Supply and demand.
Entertainment value.
It’s a revenue gap. If the WNBA pulled in TV, ticket, endorsement and licensing revenue equal to the NBA and the WNBA owners were just keeping 60% more than NBA owners you would have an arguement. I’m not a fan of the gap but that’s why it’s there.
Why does this question have to be asked? Just look at how much is paid for TV rights, TV ratings, merchandise sales & the number of spectators at games. That will tell you the reason why.
Oh come on!! The WNBA has virtually no market. In fact, if it were not being subsidized by the NBA the WNBA would be non-existent. I wish that was not the case but those are the facts.
What’s beyond the WNBA gap pay? Talent
Popularity!
This about how much revenue the WNBA generates. If they bring in the crowds, the salary will rise. It is all business,
Really?
Those willing to pay to see them. There! No need for a story. Simple. Pay me to play.
Men bring in way more money than women. These are businesses not HS teams.
Revenue flow?
Supply and demand. Pretty simple.
By this logic a female engineer for a software startup doesn’t make as much money as a Male engineer at Google because of a “pay gap” & “Sexism”. I’m sure those factors exist, but the primary reason for the pay gap? Revenue. Better marketing = ⬆️ in fan base = ⬆️ Revenue =⬆️ Pay
Before the NBA got all 'woke' the difference was tv ratings. Now, not so much
Simple - Women sports suck/very little audience, thus there's no ad money put into it, thus teams can't pay the same as their male counterparts.
Regardless of skills, salaries are a business expence. How does $(revenue) per $(salary) compare for NBA vs WNBA?
What's the WNBA? 🤔
When will they merge ?
How ignorant is this 'journalist'? I hope that this is a rhetorical title.
Demand
Yeah the wage gap exists because nobody cares about women’s sports.
Noone watches it. Duh.
This isnt hard to figure. Starts w people watching, leads to ads & tix prices, leads to more $ to dole out. WOmen want $ without showing differences in formula. Fact is, more men watch sports than women and they have shown preference to watch men. BOOM. mpinoe sinow wsj
Demand
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No one goes to or watches WNBA games. There’s no revenue to pay the players more.
Fake news ignorant journalists! How can a corporation make X amount and then turn around and pay XX amount to those contributing? Where will the extra X amount come from!
Do the NBA and WNBA generate the same returns? Or are we expecting the owners to cover the gap just so we can say “equality”? If the former is true, go ahead and crucify them. Don’t work in McDonald and expect a $200/hour salary
boycott all pro sports, bankrupt the ungrateful lot that think we should abide by their political views.
How about size of audience
In soccer, I’m guessing women draw similarly to men and is a better product. Suspicion sexism is involved is inescapable. In basketball, it’s mostly economics. Hasn’t the NBA been subsidizing WNBA? Still, can’t rule out some sexism given unjustifiably large pay gap in soccer.
Rhetorical question. Nuff said!
Pay should be determined by the value created. It’s simple WNBA creates way less in Revenue. Blame ESPN and networks for pay gap. ESPN pays $24M/year for WNBA TV deal while paying the NBA $2.7B/year. That’s 112.5X, do the math
Women’s sports teams just don’t have the money that mens sports teams/organizations have. They don’t get the same exposure and don’t get advertising/sponsorships that men’s sports get. When they can bring in more money, they’ll make more money.
I don’t watch either racist league, but I can name 50 players in one and 2 in the other. PhillyRiots
Revenue generated
Advertising revenue What a dumb question and headline
Nobody watches or cares. Less revenue. Plain and simple. Smh
Is this a real question? From the WSJ?! Lol
In 2019 the NBA generated $8.76 billion. The WNBA generated $25 million. I can't believe I'm explaining the math to the Wall St. Journal.
Nobody watches WNBA, no one cares. Give NBA players same pay as WNBA players to make it equal. Athletes seem to want equality.
Is there a difference in ratings? If there is, then that’s your explanation.
They wouldn’t have a job at all if it weren’t for men’s basketball. They are actually overpaid
This isn't about sex so stop the BS. WNBA doesn't bring the $ in the NBA does. Thats why, it's no different than any other business. Have you seen ratings? The WNBA is trash and supported by the gay community. ore than anything. Again, the product is trash and makes no $
There are good examples of inequity but also other market factors as part of the equation. Good article.
I feel like I shouldn’t need to explain why this gap in salary exists. It’s like you just asked me what 2 + 2 is. I know you can do it, people!
U had to write a whole article about this? Every1 knows why they aren’t paid the same. More revenue more pay. It’s pretty simple.
Attendance and viewership ... duh
The market, Einstein.
Why do you have a picture of David Spade?
Why does this remain a conversation? I thought the last round of discourse cleared it up? If any gender can pull the punters and advertisers, then player income should be as appropriate...
Women’s soccer does not attract the same numbers as men’s
Very obvious - fewer people follow the WNBA compared to the NBA.
The female sports don’t draw the crowds like the male sports...the only female sport that draws as much as the men’s sport is Tennis...Seriously! Read it and weep ladies!!!
Nobody gaf.
Because no one watches their games.
If the interest was there, they would generate enough revenue to support higher salaries.
I’m no trained economist, but I would say ‘viewers’.
The amount of money they bring in is the difference! Nothing more than that.
Nobody watches the WNBA
Ok. Tell owners to pay them more..
That nobody watches it.
This is the dumbest question ever asked especially by a business publication. Woman generate little revenue in professional sports. In fact the NBA subsidizes the WNBA. Without that woman in the WNBA would make less. Bottom line there is little interest in woman's sports
Is China financing the WNBA too?
Audience gap.
How much return does WNBA generate to sponsors, vs their male counterparts?
It’s because no one cares about women’s basketball.
Viewership.
Start a new league and control the advertising is the answer. Otherwise, i am not sure how you can demand the money when sports is taking the hit and the majority of the gals don’t rise up.
maybe has something to do with viewership?
Us. The consumers!
They’re separate businesses. And this whole pay equality thing is BS.
Commerce, that’s the difference. They should play WNBA games at comedy clubs. There at least people would get the joke. It’s not a good product no matter how may of you enlightened say it is.
There’s no interest in women’s sports by major networks. No TV profit-sharing by teams, no big contracts.
More people pay to watch men basketball and soccer. Can’t change that.
Serious question?
Enough...been beaten to death. Relativity people.
One is bad. The other so much more so.
Quality of play and revenue generated. You can’t pay players when they sell 5 jerseys and nobody watches
A lot of men have replied to this and I just wonder - how many of you all have daughters? I guess I should I let you all know, if they don't hate you now now they're going to eventually. Hint: it's because you're an asshat, not because you didn't buy them that thing.
Have you watched the games? Number of fans?
Ticket sales. It’s a no brainer.
Is this a serious fucking question? Let me tell you...DEMAND FOR THE SERVICE. Nobody wants to watch women's sports, relatively speaking.
Sexism
Why are we still having articles come out about this question when we know the answer? It's a total waste of everybody's time.
Is this an honest question? Pretty simple equation: revenue / of players / owner:player leverage.
Simple - the caliber of their skill doesn’t generate the same demand, and therefore revenue, relative to their male counterparts.
How many Jerseys from WNBA can you see on the streets? That’s just one point... should sponsored this league... oops I’m sorry the ROI won’t be enough.
OMG...is this a real question? I am really excited that women have an opportunity to play professional sports but the reality is it's a subsidized league that few people watch. Of course they make less. The average sports fan can't name 4 WNBA players. It is what it is.
ESPN shoving games in front of faces and charging inflationary rates is probably part of the price death spiral of the NBA. Once you claim views, tickets, fans, merch, salaries, endorsements, it all feeds on itself. Once starved of attention, 'markets will adjust'
What is the WNBA. Just kidding. Seriously though no viewers = no money
Really? Is that a legit question? Economics. Business. 🤷🏻♂️
They suck and nobody watches em
Revenue.
Seriously?
I’d say sexism.
Revenues. Next question.
A big part is called viewership. You gotta have that level of viewership like their counterparts. Just my opinion though.
Is this even a question? There is a clear difference of interest for the competition, interest brings money, money brings higher pay. As far as female sport will not generate the same interest of the male counterpart there is no way, and no reason, for equal pay
where are all the men figure skaters? A study shows that the most dangerous female sport is cheerleading.
Viewership.
Revenue
The WNBA makes $0 each year, that’s why
No one watches women sports, Ratings are much lower.. They sell far less merchandise.. Their players are far not as popular.. Games don’t sell out arenas/stadiums..
We don’t watch the WNBA.
WNBA is a tax writeoff
What... do.. you.. mean? Revenue by the league and team is the reason for the 'financial distance'.
Not as many people watch!
The gap is because no one likes it and it’s highly unpopular.
Their lack of talent is what makes the difference. The WNBA is unwatchable for most fans, men and women. Poor viewing doesn’t lead to revenue generation.
they need to check the percentage distributions to players not the absolute numbers first. add up all ad, tv, merch, and all other rev and compare the take of nba v wnba against it as a percent. there may be little to no margin in wnba cuz they don’t have the cable contracts.
lesbians vs. athletes
Women’s b-ball is not as interesting to watch. That’s it. I prefer men’s golf over women’s also but I love women’s tennis just as much if not more than men’s. Also prefer women’s gymnastics and skating to men’s. Just person preference
Quite easy to figure. WNBA doesn’t attract the same audience hence the same money. If they both keep attaching social justice causes, they’ll be lucky to get any revenue. When politics enters sports, it’s no longer sport but a circus with clowns in pretty uniforms with numbers.
It is called the market, popularity, fans buying tickets/apparel/etc.
Who will pay to watch and sponsor. Not that hard.
Free Market. That and the fact that the Soccer Girls are missing a trick in not copying the kit used by the Gridiron Girls...
...and thats 200,000 too much
Thats not a serious question. Revenue. Demand. Who pays what is paid to watch a bunch women do layup drills?
Oh stop. It’s purely based on revenue pulled in. When women’s pro sports matches men’s, they’ll make same.
Men appear to like sports more than women. A professional sports league is also a business. More people, more audience, more advertisements, more revenue, higher salaries.
It’s all about the revenue the league generates. Simple. Why do people always make it about identity politics?
Really? Same reason why Triple A players make like 12k a yr vs a minimum o 500k at MLB
Women don’t watch women’s sports, apparently.
The sad fact is that we pay male or female sports figures so much money. Those that work hardest in our society (teachers) make a small fraction of what athletes make. That’s inequity!!!
Simple ... the NBA draws a boatload of more money than the WNBA.
Fans.
Interest in the sport.
Fans?
That is the dumbest question ever,
You guys cannot be this stupid.
Attendance.
It’s called ,how many people watch it !
Also, we need more diversity in pro sports.
I see things differently we gonna b having shows n film companies like it is like signing artist like back in the 80s will have r own venue i like some credit
Viewership
Demand. It's not that hard.
Talent gap doesn't attract viewers/fans. When was the last time you've seen anyone wear a jersey with a females name?
Economics.
Uh, more people pay to watch men's sports?
so...no change? have the wnba sold more tix and ads?
If you’re going to be gaslit, it might as well be from an institutional publication.
Women's World Cup gets World Series like rating. After the 2019 USWNT victory mPinoe and Co turned what should have been a unifying event for a country that needed one into a divisive and petty political statement. They should have been more focused on growing the game.
Attendance
Wow,all these 200K jobs in a league that doesn't make any money. Great racket. Nice of NBA to subsidize.
No one watches the women. Inferior and less athletic level of play. A top tier boys HS team would annihilate a WNBA team.
Demand.
Woman sports horrible to watch particularly soccer and b ball. Tennis ok but only bc one can relate to it bc it at a college level.
Supply and demand
Viewers!
What is a WNBA?
Simple....revenue
A lack of equivalent talent!
NO ONE WATCHES THE WNBA so it doesn’t make $$ so why should they get nearly the same pay? Economics.
The worst part about these articles is that they give the half educated and neo-Marxists another opportunity to fake their moral superiority by accusing large swaths of society of sexism. This rather than understanding consumer preference for certain elements of men’s sports.
...bigger, faster, stronger.
How about we put caps on salaries to even things out. Let’s start in Hollywood.
Revenue they generate
No way you can compare women to men professional salaries talent is way far apart and interest in women basketball is zilch
Probably the amount of $$$ they generate for their respective leagues and brands. Just a wild guess
Money is behind the pay gap, sorry to say but women's sports will NEVER surpass mens sports at any level. They don't generate as much money, so they dont get as much money.
Lack of audience. Considering the collapse of NBA ratings, their bloated salaries should fall as well.
Is this an Onion headline?
If you are an American and you wondering why the male make more money than the female players, u should also be wondering why your country is 60 times richer than Somalia...or why more than half of world billionaires are Americans,
Fans.
People don't watch?
Audience interest.
Revenue?
Both are businesses: Viewership, attendance, and merchandise sales.
BenWSMiller
Gee I don’t know, revenue? Wait, it’s my sexist attitude.
Ratings and revenue?
Viewership and sponsorship. The game doesn’t attract as many people, it’s just the reality.
Supply and demand maybe? I don’t see WMBA as a big time draw... so that’s my guess.
Market and revenue.
Simple men don't watch female sports unless there's a friend or family involved. If no one's watching then why advertise?! Last thing I'll be doing is watching a politicized female sport. Maybe cross fit or Olympic women events I'll watch. Plus women pass on female sports boring.
You really opened a can of worms...
Supply and demand, pretty simple do the math a better reprensetation would be % of comp to revenue generation.
The Purse. Do Wonen bring in equal Revenue? Do Women athletes have their own Nike Signature Shoe? Does advertising during events cost the sales as Men’s? Do tickets to see them perform costs the same as Men’s?
The money the bring .
It’s the level of competition- that’s what it is. When you have 18 years old boys beat the Women’s US National Soccer team - what do you expect? People want to watch the best in the world - no matter what gender. And men’s sports are higher competition.
TV money and sponsorships. Pretty simple
It’s not really a pay gap when one company earns billions in revenue and the other earns hundreds... of dollars. If you don’t think it makes sense, take your tree hugger heads out of your asses and open your eyes. One makes money and one doesn’t. Tough shit.
The market.
watch basketball game before you even ask, you'll see why there is a gap...
Lol
Because they don’t have the audience. That’s it. The question is, what don’t women watch more women’s sports? Men support men, in men’s sports. So don’t blame men, blame Karen watching season thirty five of Real Housewives of Orange County instead of the LA Sparks.
Simple financials no one cares about WNBA and fewer and fewer care about NBA.
The WNBA hasn't connected with China yet. The men have the advantage there.
This article is specifically worded to get clicks and heated arguments. It’s simple economics on why the pay disparity is the way it is, commonsense tbh, but yet they poke the fire. 🤡🤷♂️
Who TF cares about the WNBA?
Market
There are professional women’s sports teams?
Have you ever watched women’s soccer? I like our national team but they move so slow compared to men’s soccer. It’s like their running through molasses or something.
It's about time we lower all athletes salaries. They're just playing a game. Teachers should have higher salaries.
Who the hell is paying wnba players 200k.
The only reason the WNBA is even on tv to generate the revenue they do is because the nba requires it as part of their deal
Fan interest.
Because until now, but might change quickly, we are free to watch what we like and are willing to pay for. It is not discrimination, it is called freedom. Nothing to do with talent or professionalism. Simply individual and rational decisions.
I have never heard a single person say hey did you watch that wnba game last night? Lower viewership, lower merch sales, lower attendance, when you could still attend a game, all equal lower pay. Common sense.
What a waste of time writing/posting this article. Hopefully wsj reads the very clear, and consistent, responses, and never jumps on such ignorant, and tired, rhetoric, ever again. Embarrassing post.
Some of it is sexism like we see in soccer since the women’s team is much better then the men’s. But in terms of basketball, the NBA puts up better numbers.
Because no one really cares about the WNBA.
This is a silly debate. Maybe we should have a law that caps all salaries for both men and women, regardless of the job, sport, or whether they act in TV or movies, at no more than the president of the United States. How about that? Now STFU...
Perhaps because no one watches it?
Fans?
Women’s sports are terrible.
We should tax the nba players and redistribute that money to the WNBA players. That’s the New Democrat agenda.
VIEWERS!!!! WE NOT WATCHING THAT
One is really popular and the other isn't.
Actual people that watch it. Fans! People that spend money on jerseys and go to the games. That's my guess.
Any “reality” of living beyond a $120k a year income (outside of a generous giving character) is only to satisfy GREED and COVETOUSNESS.
Nobody watches WNBA?
Check ticket sales, tv ratings.
Women's basketball is boring af to watch. It's pretty simple, dudes.
No one watches or cares about women sports. This is a sexist comment, it’s the truth.
Maybe the fact that the average amount of people watching NBA on a single night is almost 2 million people. The WNBA is watched by roughly 300.000 people every game. Thats where the money is, sponsorships and tv rights
Skill
gonna guess demand for product?
I don’t tweet because I use Twitter as a medium to gather news from a myriad of places. But wow, I have to ask, if this question isn’t a rhetorical question intended to stoke the polarizing flames of today’s political fire, what the hell is it?
All these idiots screaming for pay equity in sports SURELY are buying all the merchandise and seats up for all these women’s leagues teams and games , right? No? GEE, WHY IS THAT?
Ratings and ticket sales
Why don’t you combine the teams.
Talent and demand?
I think what’s behind it is you have to make money to pay players.🤷♂️
Because women’s sports suck compared to men’s. I said what everyone thinks.
Audience
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣💩🤣💩🤣💩🤣💩🤣💩🤣💩🤣💩🤣💩🤣💩🤣💩🤣💩🤣💩🤣💩🤣💩🤣💩🤣💩🤣💩🤣
I'm going to start an only fans account and then complain about me not being able to make as much money as some of the hot chicks on there...
Name a WNBA team:
The revenue they generate...they should be able make more. Well mother's bring your daughter's and the family to the games. Buy the merchandise. Take the lead ladies.
Viewership
That WNBA salary is about right. Were talking about WNBA players that can't dunk a basketball, can't distribute the ball the way their NBA counterparts could, not nearly as athletic and more importantly, the game is slow. Woman don't want to watch the WNBA.
The market
WNBA players would deserve equal share of the pot as NBA players if their league actually produced a profit. If the NBA didn’t subsidize the WNBA there wouldn’t be a WNBA
The average salary of a cop or a teacher is about $40,000. I think the WSJ should write an article about why they all make less than a WNBA athlete. Sorry.
The took a knee. I turned off tv.
Nobody cares about Womens soccer 46 out of every 48 months. All other female sports draw zippo. if anything they'll be overpaid.
Value proposition....
They barely have a league don't push it.
I don't like commenting on stuff like this because theirs always someone on the edge of their chair to get triggered. How much money does the NBA generate compared to the WNBA? They're businesses. Where they gonna get the money to pay WNBA players 8 mill?
Facts don’t matter. LeBron should make it equal.
Here for the ratio
The size of the league, the length of the season, the Television and Ad revenue, the worldwide reach.. quite a few major details.. 🤷🏾♂️ all for equality but this argument isn’t where you begin..
People simply like to go see or view males play sports far more than females.
What kind of crowd they pull in.... if course neither can right now but normally the men draw a bigger crowd
There are somethings politcial correctness can’t explain
Lack of viewers?
TV ratings and generated revenue. Basic economics
Nice..
Is this a serious question? What a joke. Embarrassed for you
99% of basketball fans cannot name a single WNBA star. It isn't a gender issue, it's a marketing issue.
Revenue
Ok 3rd graders. Anybody? Raise your hand if you think you know why.
Revenue generated is split between owners and teams. No revenue, not much to split. High revenue, more split. Make sense?
The sad truth is that men are better in these sports due to biology... people watch the nba not the wnba... players should get payed as much as they are generating not as much as you think they should get payed since 'it isn't equal'...
How much money they can make for the entire circus? Simple as that in the end of the day. Nothing about genre.
Revenue.
Women’s sport is rubbish compared to men’s sport.
Watchability.
Let me sum it up for the world's premiere Business publication: The NBA has a revenue of $9 billion last year & the 30 team averages over $2 billion in valuation. The WNBA, founded in 1996, has NEVER made a profit & loses about $10 million/year. Now stop wasting people's time.
Ratings.
Why do people never understand. Its not about talent. Its about marketability.
how is this is a serious question?
Lets ask the NBA to share their salaries. Let the millionaires lead the charge for equality!
Ahh fans in the stands, actual people watching the game on TV, the merchandise selling...very simple.
The woman's national team lost to an under 15 boys team. The USA women's hockey team practice against D3 college kids who still hold back by not checking. Just stop already
As in WOMEN'S tennis more eyeballs are on the MEN.. Simple Fact of Life...
'What accounts for Quibi going under while Netflix doesn't?'
What’s sad about a story like this is that it only needs to be written because there’s a certain subset of Americans that are clueless, not able to critically think, and poorly educated on economics.
Sadly we don’t have a lebron James in the WNBA
Revenue generation? Ratings?
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