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Originally Posted by tredadda
But it doesn't though. How long has the WNBA been around? Has their "success" fed into the popularity of the NBA at all? 20+ years and they still need the NBA to subsidize them. That should say a lot right there. Growing women's sports is not as easy as you make it.
Also when you say equal pay, what do you support? Equal salary? Or equal % of revenue? In other words if the men get 15% of the revenue they generate, do the women also get 15% of the revenue they generate?
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The wnba is a shit product. I don't think you can make the same comparison. They haven't made money on their own. Uswnt has and a lot of it. Very big difference. There is nobody in the wnba even a fraction as popular as Alex morgan. Maybe Caitlin Clark is up and coming, but I find it really hard to believe that doesn't fizzle a lot once she goes pro. Maybe it's just me but I also don't see a ton of crossover. I think girls and women would rather watch better mens pros play basketball. Lots of women really love womens soccer . With the growth of women's soccer you've also seen an explosion of young girls playing soccer. That absolutely grows the US fan base that, let's be honest, views men's soccer as a side sport whereas for women it is THE sport. The wnba has tried to argue that but women's soccer's impact is exponentially bigger.
The wnba has failed despite nba owners obligated to run it at a loss. Women's soccer is the exact opposite. Arguably their earnings were funneled into growing men's MLS and development programs with little going into their own pro league. I get why but the resentment is understandable. Point being, the wnba has tried to make money but can't. Women's soccer is very popular despite lack of attention or investment.
For the record I dont think there needs to be equal pay. I also don't think any of it matters. This is a side bonus for men making a bazillion dollars in the pros. It is for now the main source of income for women. That's why the men didn't throw a fit.