How Much Do You Think Clark Got Nike?

[DiggityDaggityDo]

Did people actually watch when the Russian guy came back?

Probably not

 

[KVB]

No. And they don’t watch WNBA either.

Well, they will now for a bit.

Like when that Russian guy came back.

Then it will die out again.

They don't need to watch.

They just need to attend. But if they do watch, TV rights could be renegotiated.

Tickets are selling and the Aces are even selling out season tickets.

There is an uptrend and how much of a fad it is remains to be seen.

Clarkonomics may set in as she's bringing an economy that women's basketball has really never seen before. She brings ticket sales on the road and record ratings.

That can't be ingored.

But can it last?

 

[djefferis]

WNBA has lost money every single year

The time of the year definitely is a problem

As opposed to lack of interest from sports fans ?

They could skip the season and go straight to a playoff tourney with every team starting Thanksgiving and going through New Years - they wouldn’t pull an audience:

There’s a difference between casual fans who will tune in and watch one player - and engaged fans who will buy tickets to games year round.

Like I said - right now it’s Pickelball - a million girls wanting to play hoops and be like Caitlyn - good for her - but we need to be careful not to assume it’s going to easily translate into popularity of her new league.

The thing with women’s sports in college is just like men’s baseball in college - there’s a built in automatic fan base from fans of the school. You don’t have that in the WNBA. Maybe they can build it back up again - but long term - will it last. The first gen of WNBA had more than 1 marketable star to burden the load.

 

[KVB]

The thing with women’s sports in college is just like men’s baseball in college - there’s a built in automatic fan base from fans of the school. You don’t have that in the WNBA.

This is true about the college fan base, but Clark turned that upside down with her road game sellouts. That difference is economically accounted for, the built in base is not some great revelation.

But when it comes to the WNBA a team like Connecticut will see a bump in sales when former Uconn players come to town to play.

So some of the college fan base, at least among the most successful women, does translate to WNBA. This is proven.

 

[DiggityDaggityDo]

Why don’t they dunk?

 

[KVB]

Why don’t they dunk?

They do, kinda.

Brittney Griner has the dunk record.

Here's a bunch of dunks, Griner has most of them because he's the man!!!

Griner really the only one dunking when being defended. Once again, he's the man!!

 

[DiggityDaggityDo]

The Russian dude has hops

 

[kidcudi92]

The Russian dude has hops

 

[KVB]

Clark getting a shit ton from Nike probably means she doesn't have to travel overseas in the off season to play for an Oligarch.

I bet Brittney be like...

 

[djefferis]

This is true about the college fan base, but Clark turned that upside down with her road game sellouts. That difference is economically accounted for, the built in base is not some great revelation.

But when it comes to the WNBA a team like Connecticut will see a bump in sales when former Uconn players come to town to play.

So some of the college fan base, at least among the most successful women, does translate to WNBA. This is proven.

Absolutely - everyone wanted to see the latest/greatest - road games are a 1 time a season visit. How was attendance at Non Iowa games though at other schools though.

I think the WNBA will trend positive vs its trajectory lately. But the people thinking it’s gonna explode and become lead to sell outs all year long everywhere are way over hyping it.

I’m not questioning the legitimacy of the sport - they obviously have very good players and adding another with a marketable image is only going to help. But there also needs to be some reality checks in place - they have a chance to boost popularity - keep doing things like holding basketball clinics with local schools - keep your players out in the public doing good and not making headlines for the WRONG reasons. Would seem fairly easy to do when you look at how the NBA has plenty of knuckleheads doing the wrong thing.

Headlines like the Nike deal though set wrong expectations - that shoe money is like an non guaranteed NFL player contract - best case you live up to it and get it all. But it can also fall well short to - the deal projects sales with the player getting a % of sales. What happens when people refuse to pay $200 for a woman’s basketball shoe ? Worse - what happens if they try to bring out a line of sports wear with her name that flops badly? There’s a precendent for both.

She of course will be fine financially - but someone’s going to loose their ass here I’m afraid and if the league banks too much on her it could easily do more harm than good. Balance is the key.

 

[KVB]

Headlines like the Nike deal though set wrong expectations - that shoe money is like an non guaranteed NFL player contract - best case you live up to it and get it all. But it can also fall well short to - the deal projects sales with the player getting a % of sales. What happens when people refuse to pay $200 for a woman’s basketball shoe ? Worse - what happens if they try to bring out a line of sports wear with her name that flops badly? There’s a precendent for both.

These problems really aren't WNBA problems, and NIKE is likely not banking on the rising tide of league popularity rising all ships. Nike's best hope is that the Fever go for a title and that rising wave will lift the merchandise ship.

Otherwise, NIKE is betting on one individual, not the league here.

 

[jjgold]

It’s a terrible time. People are not home as much game times are strange. It’s not basketball season a lot going against them.

It’s warm across the United States during the WNBA season and it’s vacation time they’re not sitting home watching these games