WNBA’s existence is under threat. While we are not there yet, the ongoing CBA negotiations have caused every major organization associated with the league to prepare for the worst. ESPN was the latest to make a move amid this uncertainty. The broadcast partner has signed a 3-year extension with Athletes Unlimited, but with a major overhaul. While it earlier telecast a very few basketball games, focusing on Softball, in this new deal, it will show all 24 games of Athletes Unlimited’s basketball and volleyball leagues on ESPNU and ESPN+.

According to Rachel DeMita, this was a direct effect of the contentious CBA situation in the WNBA, and ESPN is diversifying its women’s basketball portfolio. “I thought that this was interesting because again it goes to show that some of these television networks and these brands, like we’ve also talked about in previous videos, they’re investing in these offseason leagues. They’re taking note of what might be happening in the WNBA, that there might not be a season.” She said on the ‘Courtside Club‘ Podcast.

WNBPA  has still not agreed to extend the October 31 deadline. According to ESPN, the WNBA offered an extension on October 1, and they did not receive a response until past Monday. Even with a few days to go, it seems they are hanging the threat of a lockout on the league as a negotiating tactic. The report by ESPN also said that “the players might be willing to consider an extension ‘under the right circumstances’, but they feel ‘those circumstances do not yet exist.’” These kinds of moves highlight just how far the two parties are on the negotiating table, causing broadcast networks like ESPN to keep their footprint in Women’s basketball, just in case. 

“Athletes Unlimited getting a broadcast partnership with ESPN is actually pretty huge because there hasn’t been, honestly, much buzz around this league. So, I wonder how the viewership will be if people will tune in.” DeMita said further. 

Like even DeMita earlier noted, this deal gives ESPN all three Athletes Unlimited sports: softball, volleyball, and basketball. Softball is the most popular of the three as AUSLs’ viewership on ESPN rose 88% year‑over‑year (across ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPNU). The Championship Series averaged 230,000 viewers on ESPN. In addition, the league sold out 24 games, merchandise sales crossed $1 million, with 237 million social media impressions. Basketball set some record attendance marks this season in Nashville, but its viewership data is unknown. 

Even if it’s not at the level that ESPN might want. This package deal gives them the advantage as the ecosystem of Athletes Unlimited can lift up every sport under their umbrella. So maybe, ESPN’s deal to get basketball wasn’t based on its current popularity, but because it came with softball and volleyball. There was no downside to the deal. AU Basketball may trail Unrivaled and the WNBA, but that did not matter much. In light of this move, let’s dive into a scenario where the WNBA becomes the second most popular basketball league in the country or ceases to exist altogether. 

WNBA’s Worst Nightmare: Unrivaled x AU Unite?

There have been a lot of talks on whether Napheesa Collier has a conflict of interest in the CBA negotiations since she is a cofounder of a direct ‘rival’. Although Alex Bazell and Collier have repeatedly emphasized that the intention behind the league is only to give players an option from going overseas, the fact is that they are competitors. The problem comes with the format. Unrivaled is a 3 v 3 basketball league with 53 roster spots for its 2026 season. To expand to a potential 5v5 format if the WNBA tapers off is a difficult feat to achieve for a league so young. That’s where AU Pro Basketball comes in. 

The AU, a 5v5 league, has existed before Unrivaled, being founded in 2020. But its intention is slightly different from the 3v3 league. In August, they refused to expand even in the case of a WNBA lockout. “We are far ahead of where we’ve been in prior years in terms of the number of players we have signed [for this coming season], and we expect probably over 70% will be WNBA players, which will be up from prior years,” CEO Jon Patricof said. “The focus or criteria of AU is: We want to provide a home for players … that have been in the W or trying to get into the W. So, we always have cast a wide net. But that’s where it’s heading this year.”

The league also has a partnership with the WNBA to stream a part of these games (the ESPN deal makes cutting that off easy). However, everything changes in the case WNBA athletes start leaving the league. If WNBA is not the league players are aspiring towards, all of AU’s purpose is lost. With the likes of Paige Bueckers, Napheesa Collier, Breanna Stewart, and others, the Unrivaled clearly has a better roster than the AU. Adding their 40-player roster will bring the total players to 93. Unrivaled’s first season numbers were already mind-boggling, and a partnership with AU will add to their strength. 

Packaging a 3v3 sprint (Unrivaled) with a 5v5 product (AU) creates year-round inventory. The diverse formats to sell as a single rights bundle. It’s a compelling proposition for networks seeking continuity and shoulder content around marquee WNBA windows. The marketing aspect becomes easier to create storylines across formats. With the CBA situation getting worse by the minute, this could be a quick and easy solution for both sides to gain what they don’t have and form a suitable WNBA replacement.