WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert says charter flights, which would cost $25 million annually, should be ‘feasible’

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There are few, if any, issues looming over the WNBA’s relationship with its players like charter flights, and league commissioner Kathy Engelbert addressed the request again in an interview with MA Voepel from ESPN Published Friday.

Engelbert reportedly told ESPN that such a transfer, for both the 40-game regular season and the playoffs, would cost the league $25 million a year, a price she noted was too steep for the league’s current finances:

“The thing that some people miss is that this funding is not for one year,” Engelbert told ESPN. “This is something you have to fund — I want to say forever — but let’s say you have to make sure you have a business model to fund it for at least a decade.

“So even if you bring in a sponsor to fund it for one year…sponsors can come and go. So you have to make sure you have an economic model that can be funded over the long term.”

WNBA players have long chafed at having to travel business, and the league has even banned teams from footing the bill themselves due to a supposed unfair advantage, but the issue has taken on new urgency due to the situation surrounding Brittney Grinier.

if it was Phoenix Mercury The star chooses to play next season, some It said She believes she will need private flights due to security concerns after her stay in a Russian prison last year. This would create a mystery for the League because you would imagine Griner’s Phoenix teammates would come with you on the journey.

signed recently New York Liberty star Brianna Stewart Air travel is said to be a major factor in her free agency and speaking last month, Calling for a deal that would support WNBA charter travel. She has pledged her own resources to aid the cause and has received public commitments from the likes of Sue Bird and Ja MorantBut Engelbert told ESPN that she sees the most viable path as a new media rights deal:

“The way all the periodicals that have charters are funded is through massive media rights deals,” Engelbert said. “That’s why we’re working so hard to transform the economics of our league. We want to build a revenue stream – at the league level as well as at the team level – where we have more corporate sponsorships mounting.

“Obviously I’m very vocal about the fact that there has been a significant devaluation of our media rights in women’s sports. We have to quantify that in our next round of media negotiations.”

The WNBA’s current media rights deal with ESPN and ABC is said to expire after the 2025 season, though the league also has games streamed via CBS Sports, Amazon Prime, Twitter, Facebook and NBA TV.

Like the league, that year would loom large for the future of the WNBA Saw amazing growth in ratings But she will still need a network to bet big on her future.

FILE - In this September 29, 2019, file photo, WNBA Commissioner Kathy Engelbert speaks at a press conference prior to Game 1 of the WNBA Finals in Washington.  Engelbert believes the measures the league has taken to ensure player safety are in the bubble at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File)

WNBA Commissioner Kathy Engelbert is still not a fan of charter flights. (AP Photo/Patrick Simanski, File)

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