Not Without Pains WNBA players such as Mystic Vicky Bullett are not attracting the same television viewership or attendance as their NBA counterparts.
Television ratings are flat.
Some sponsors have not renewed contracts because the games aren't drawing enough men. But with the backing of the NBA, the league continues to bump along as its fourth season winds down with the finals, which begin Thursday night in New York. There is a recognition that there is a long-term business here because of the audience that we have attracted and the revenue opportunities that seem to be possible, from sponsorship, from merchandising, from ticket sales and the like. Ackerman declined to give specific revenue and operating costs for the league. In addition, the individual NBA owners in each of the 16 cities pay other expenses for their teams, including housing, travel costs, salaries for coaches and staff and other game-related expenses.