About this event
Wednesday, February 18 | 12:30 PM ET
The Business of Women's Sports
Pivotal Play: Women’s Basketball in 2026
Women’s basketball enters 2026 with both unprecedented momentum and existential complexity. The WNBA–WNBPA negotiations remain front and center, with players stressing the importance of playing next season as talks continue. Meanwhile Unrivaled’s second season expands on TNT Sports and a global 5-on-5 initiative known as Project B has begun signing A-list talent on multimillion, equity‑inclusive deals. This SBJ Live episode will examine all the dynamics at play at this critical juncture for the business of women’s basketball.
What We Will Discuss:
- WNBA CBA status and season continuity: what ‘far apart’ means for calendars, rosters, budgets and sponsor assurances
- Media & programming: Unrivaled’s primetime cadence, studio storytelling and cross‑platform discovery
- Sponsorship signals: Sephora Arena and the rise of non‑endemic partners with measurable on‑site integrations
- Project B’s model: tournament format, compensation/ownership structures and coexistence scenarios with the WNBA
Who Should Attend:
- Women’s sports team and league executives
- Media and content leaders
- Brand and sponsorship professionals
- Agency strategists and consultants
- Investors and operators focused on women’s sports
Speakers to be Announced
Registration is free. All registrants will receive a recording of the webinar following the event.
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Hosted by
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Team member
Tom Friend Senior Writer @ Sports Business JournalT
Tom Friend is a three-time Emmy nominated writer author, producer and director who has worked at ESPN, the New York Times, the Washington Post and Los Angeles Times. He is currently the pro basketball writer for Sports Business Journal.
Sports Business Journal
Be Where the Sports Industry is Every DaySports Business Journal (SBJ) sits at the epicenter of the sports industry. SBJ provides the news, the networking and the data to equip the most powerful executives in sports business to make more informed decisions, deals and partnerships.
