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A women\u2019s sports team is now worth $1 billion for the first time in history. The WNBA\u2019s Golden State Valkyries hit the gold standard, and investors are now scrambling to buy into a league where new teams are paying $250 million just to get in the door \u2014 five times what it cost three years ago.<\/p>\n
The Valkyries, owned by Golden State Warriors owners Joe Lacob and Peter Guber, lead CNBC\u2019s latest WNBA team valuations<\/a> after generating $78 million in revenue last season \u2014 more than double the league average. They sold out season tickets, averaged a league-record 18,064 fans per game and set the bar for what\u2019s possible when a women\u2019s team shares ownership and an arena with an NBA franchise. <\/p>\n The Valkyries, however, isn\u2019t the only WNBA team seeing explosive growth. The Connecticut Sun just sold for $300 million after being purchased for $10 million in 2003, and the Las Vegas Aces went from a $2 million purchase price in 2021 to a current valuation of $500 million.<\/p>\n The frenzy is fueled by new media deals that are more than six times larger than previous contracts and a surge in corporate sponsorships. Investors are betting more teams will sink $1 billion within five years as the league\u2019s business is in a full-court press.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n A women\u2019s sports team is now worth $1 billion for the first time in history. The WNBA\u2019s Golden State Valkyries hit the gold standard, and investors are now scrambling to buy into a league where new teams are paying $250 million just to get in the door \u2014 five times what it cost three years ago.<\/p>\n