The PWHL is seven years away from the expiration of their Collective Bargaining Agreement, but the deal signed by the NWSL and NWSLPA, who have reportedly come to terms on a new CBA, could have a significant impact on the PWHL.
Why? When you look at the NWSL's now former CBA, and compare it to that of the PWHL, much of the document is almost a verbatim copy and paste.
PWHL advisory board member Billie Jean King is a part owner of Angel City FC in the NWSL, and the fingerprints of the NWSL are all over the PWHL's collective bargaining agreement. If the PWHL continues to follow the NWSL's lead, the NWSL's new collective bargaining agreement could have a future impact on the direction of the PWHL.
A Deal Could Come Earlier Than 2031
The PWHL and PWHLPA's collective bargaining agreement wasn't exactly collective, as a only a small portion of the league's players were able to have a say on the document. That in itself could provide impetus to alter the CBA. The PWHL's deal won't expire until 2031, but that doesn't mean the players won't push for change soon. The NWSL just did this, with their previous deal only signed in 2022, and was not due to expire until 2026. The PWHLPA is likely not in as good of a position as the NWSL as the PWHL is owned by a single entity. If however, expansion were to occur and new owners were brought in, it could open the doors for a renegotiation. While a push from the players could be enough, the PWHL current owner, Mark Walter, has protected his investment with a fixed labour expense for seven more years. To that end, advisory board member Stan Kasten openly told media during the inaugural season that ownership did not intend to reopen discussions on the CBA. This league however, started as a player movement, and the collective voice of the players could force discussions to re-open sooner.
What To Look For In The NWSL's CBA
The NWSL's collective bargaining agreement could be precedence setting in many ways. The first item to watch is player compensation. The NWSL's 2022 CBA set minimum salaries at $35,000, the same as the PWHL. It's expected the NWSL is going to raise their minimum salaries again in this renegotiated deal. Should the NWSL drastically increase minimum salaries, it will pave the way for a similar ask from the PWHL. A second item to watch is how the NWSL deals with revenue sharing.In the NWSL, sponsorship revenue is estimated to be $24.5-million annually. The NWSL, in 2023, also signed a new media deal with four networks worth $60-million a year. Players in the NWSL can get up to 10% of those media and broadcast deals. Some teams in the NWSL, like Angel City, have even set direct revenue sharing related to ticket sales with their players. The PWHL did not negotiate any revenue share for media and broadcasting , nor merchandise. Total salary of every player in the PWHL is currently under $8-million. Any large scale broadcasting deal would certainly cover all salary and then some for the PWHL, and could open the door to increased salaries. While the NWSL does still operate under a salary cap, teams are also able to use their allocation money, and profitable teams may opt to use more allocation money on larger salaries to lure top players to the league. This focus on attracting more international talent, and the increased revenue the league is experiencing all put NWSL owners and players back to the table. Single entity ownership in the PWHL may limit the ability of players to leverage for new negotiations, and ownership certainly won't want to open talks prematurely unless there is a distinct benefit for them. The final point to watch for in the NWSL's new CBA is increased freedom for player movement. They for the first time earned free agency in the 2022 CBA, a point the PWHL already has, but the NWSL will potentially change player freedoms yet again.
What Does This Mean For The PWHL
On paper, very little. In reality, it could be significant. Whether it's the WNBA or NWSL, the PWHL will be watching the patterns and significance of moves made by other major professional women's sports leagues. The NWSL in particular has close ties, including nearly identical CBAs, and a new agreement for the NWSL, could prompt new discussions between players and the league to re-open discussions well before 2031. There are many places in the current CBA where the PWHLPA gave up significant opportunities for players to earn more, and as the NWSL continues to show new levels of compensation, pressure will mount for the PWHL to follow.
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