Work hard, pay harder

The GIST: The WNBA just netted another record — this time, for the most lucrative media rights contracts in women’s sports history. On Tuesday, The Athletic reported the WNBA signed three media rights deals alongside the NBA for a grand total of $2.2B over the next 11 years — and they’re likely not done yet.

The current deals: The WNBA has four existing media deals through 2025 with Disney, Amazon, CBS, and Ion that are worth a combined $50M a year, per The Athletic. This April, WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert said the league hoped to double the value of these deals in its next one.

The new agreements: And it did: Sources claim the WNBA is included in deals with the NBA’s media rights partners — Disney and Amazon, and newly-added NBC — for a reported $200M annual average, although the league has the opportunity to negotiate additional deals.

• It’s believed the league will sign at least two more media rights agreements, which could potentially be with CBS and Ion — two existing W partners left out of the new deal.

• The W benefitted from jointly negotiating with the NBA to coordinate year-round programming with its partners, but also from having the freedom to negotiate media rights deals with other companies to further leverage its product. Best of both worlds.

The protection: Though the WNBPA is nervous about the NBA calling the shots, the contract also protects the WNBA if the deals’ value becomes outdated. Within three years, the W and its media partners can revisit the deals and engage in good faith talks to reprice them according to league growth — a clause that could have been useful in the NCAA’s women’s March Madness bundle.

Zooming out: TV networks are rolling in data that justifies paying a premium for WNBA rights, like ESPN’s 248% YoY growth in WNBA Draft viewership this year. And if the All-Star Weekend buzz proves anything, it’s that brands aren’t far behind on the WNBA bandwagon.

• A massive deal like this should also spur even more league growth — after signing its historic media rights deal last year, the NWSL has seen attendance and viewership highs thanks to increased exposure.

• Plus, the trickle-down effect to team equity has been tangible, from the frenzy of private equity investment to Angel City’s massive jump in valuation. More media play equals more pay — it’s that simple.

The GIST: Women-led sports nonprofit Ico For All is fighting to include women in the age-old sport of decathlon. On Wednesday, the org announced it would host the inaugural Women’s Decathlon World Championships in Geneva, Ohio, next month to coincide with the men’s Olympic event in Paris — where women still can’t compete.

The why: The pentathlon — essentially a non-stop marathon of five different track and field activities — originated in ancient Greece over 2000 years ago. The modern decathlon, which consists of 10 consecutive events such as running, jumping, and throwing, has been practiced in the U.S. since the late 1800s and was first included in the 1912 Olympics.

• Despite decathlon events existing for women outside of the Olympics, women have only been allowed to compete in a seven-event heptathlon starting at the 1984 LA Olympics. American decathlete Lauren Kuntz called this a vestige of “historical sexism,” which ultimately set the stage for today’s lack of financial resources and visibility.

The details: Backed by women’s sports power players Parity and Gainbridge, Ico for All’s world championships is being organized by Kuntz and will feature over 30 athletes from 10 countries, including U.S. phenoms Jordyn Bruce and Katie Straus.

• In addition to the main event, the org is putting on an icosathlon (aka a double decathlon) with 20 different track and field events. The competition will be open to all genders, ages, and abilities, a winning strategy to include more athletes in another version of the sport that — you guessed it — also excludes women.

Zooming out: The sport of athletics is booming, and women want in. In the lead-up to the Olympics, Michael Johnson launched a new track league and the 776 Invitational was announced, both of which intend to level the playing field across athletics. Many of these athletes will benefit from increased exposure and opportunity around the Games, which women decathletes can’t unlock.

• Paris 2024 is touting its gender parity in both the number of athletes and events, but that overlooks the fact that only men have the opportunity to participate in the decathlon while women can only compete in the seven-event heptathlon.

• While women have been fighting for inclusion into the event for decades, the recent involvement of powerful sponsors like Parity and Gainbridge can help athletes overcome the hurdles of being sidelined and excluded from the Games. If you can’t join them, leave them.

When you’re a small business owner, failing to manage your cash flow is like showing up to the diamond without your glove — not ideal, to say the least.

• Thankfully, Intuit QuickBooks helps small businesses lay the groundwork for success by keeping all your financials in one place — including invoices, payroll, and payments.

Looking for inspiration? See how these Canadian all stars are crushing it with their small business success today.