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Unrivaled’s $1 million night in Brooklyn saw a capacity crowd chant “Pay the Players” as WNBA CBA negotiations continue, with Kelsey Plum discussing potential strike action while the league reaches $45M in revenue.
Unrivaled fans voiced their opinions loudly as the WNBA and its players continue negotiations for a new CBA, with the clock ticking down on starting the season as scheduled.
The second season of the breakaway 3×3 league has featured games in Miami, Philadelphia and now New York, with the Unrivaled semifinals held at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Hosting games beyond the league’s Miami headquarters has demonstrated that Unrivaled is expanding and drawing WNBA fans wherever it travels.
This became evident when the league hosted its two semifinal matchups on Monday as Phantom took on Vinyl, whilst Breeze battled Mist. The games followed Kelsey Plum’s reaffirmation of her position on WNBA players potentially striking, as the deadline for reaching an agreement approaches.
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Throughout the evening, Unrivaled revealed that the two-game event attracted 18,261 fans to Barclays Center, completely selling out the arena. Alex Bazzell, Unrivaled’s president, informed reporters that, based solely on the night’s gate revenue, the league generated $1 million, according to Annie Costabile.
Additionally, a video spreading across social media captured members of the packed crowd chanting, “Pay the Players,” the rallying cry that both fans and players have embraced as WNBPA members continue working toward an agreement they believe properly compensates them.
Prior to the games getting underway, Unrivaled’s Commissioner, Micky Lawler, discussed with reporters the league’s current state and the revenue it has generated this year, compared to its inaugural season. “Our merchandise sales have also performed exceptionally well and have more than doubled – actually, much more than doubled since last year, and we are now at close to $4 million in sales,” she stated Monday [h/t Sportico].
“Our ticket revenue is at actually close to $5 million, we believe after tonight, and so from a big picture perspective, this means that from a financial performance point of view, last year when we had projected $13.5 million in revenue, we actually ended up with $27 million in revenue, and this year we’re at approximately $45 million.
Paige Bueckers is one of the biggest stars of the 3×3 breakaway league, as the WNBA and its players continue to negotiate a new CBA(Image: Photo by Ishika Samant/Getty Images)
“So that speaks to the financial performance but it’s as a natural byproduct of putting the players and the fans first whilst consistently raising the bar and setting new standards, thereby proving what’s possible when you focus on the true value drivers of a sport.”
As Unrivaled highlights its achievements whilst the WNBA and its players continue to negotiate a new CBA, Plum emphasized that “players want to play” as a lockout draws nearer and nearer.
“I want to play, and players want to play,” the WNBPA first vice president said. “Obviously, we’re going to continue to negotiate and do everything we possibly can to get this done in a timely fashion. But obviously, a strike would be the worst thing for both sides.”
She added: “Because we are in a revenue [share system], so no revenue, no revenue to share.”
The Unrivaled season is set to wrap up on Wednesday, with Mist going head-to-head with the Phantom for the title. In the meantime, the WNBA season is scheduled to kick off on May 8.
