MEDLEY, Fla. – As the inaugural Unrivaled season ends with Monday night’s championship game between the Rose and Vinyl, the women’s basketball league is already looking forward to Year 2 and beyond.
Unrivaled president Alex Bazzell told USA TODAY Sports the league has been “sustainable” in Year 1, though he did not disclose any financial details.
Bazzell said Unrivaled has averaged about 218,000 viewers on TNT/TruTV during its first season – still navigating its brand awareness among casual basketball fans not yet familiar with the alternative 3-on-3 women’s basketball league.
However, Unrivaled players have collectively gained 1 million followers on social media since the league began in mid-January, Bazzell said – a sign they’ve gained traction among supporters that could continue to build during the upcoming 2025 WNBA season.
“I think what’s most important is what we built here is sustainable. We have brought in the revenue. We have the best players in the world. We have the best brands in the world behind us. We have people who are investing in the best of the best, and I think we’re only just getting started,” Bazzell said during an interview this week.
“What we’re proud about is we built this runway. We don’t have to go year to year and figure out, ‘How do we keep the lights on?’ We are going to be here for a while. We are going to be here with the best of the best, and we’re going to make sure that we push the boundaries forward on what the resources look like for the players. And I think that’s what is always going to kind of where we’re going to plan our flag is, as long as we exist.”
Unrivaled will continue to be based at a centralized location to avoid the overhead of multiple franchises in different cities. It will still operate in Year 2 at Mediapro Miami, a production studio about seven miles away from Miami International Airport.
Bazzell did say there’s a plan to make at least one or two offsite visits to other markets in the United States, with the goal to expand the game of women’s basketball. He did not share which locations were under consideration, but said Unrivaled is targeting outside of the markets WNBA teams occupy, including the expansion markets of Golden State, Toronto and Portland.
“We love being in Miami. We love serving the community. We also have an obligation to get our product and, honestly, get our players in front of bigger crowds,” he said. “So, we want to go to larger venues. Call it 15,000- or 20,000-seat venues, going to different markets. Our brands would love to do it. We know Turner would love to do it.
“We have an obligation to help grow the ecosystem and the fandom of women’s basketball.”
Unrivaled will continue in Year 2 with six clubs – Lunar Owls, Rose, Laces, Vinyl, Mist and Phantom. But at least 6-8 players will be added to the player pool, Bazzell said.
“We certainly will have more players on-site next year than we did this year, but we’ll stick with six teams,” Bazzell said.
As for its home base, Unrivaled wants to increase the 850-seat capacity main court named Wayfair Arena.
“I think the big thing that separates us is how intimate it is. We want to keep that. We don’t want to be too big. But I think adding anywhere from 100 to 150 seats is probably a priority for us moving into next season,” Bazzell said.
Adding some more room between player locker rooms so teams aren’t in adjacent areas – especially after games – is also a focus.
“It’s tough when you’re right next to a team. They come in and celebrate, and you have to hear through the walls when you just lost the game,” Bazzell said. “That isn’t a huge thing to fix, but it adds the overall experience of the best players wanted to be here, feeling comfortable, feeling like it’s great atmosphere.”
Unrivaled continues to see itself as an “informal partner” with the WNBA, he added. The league is an offseason alternative for women’s basketball players to stay home domestically instead of traveling abroad to play in other countries.
The Unrivaled players are partners and not employees, sharing ownership equity in the league. The play is fast-paced, competitive and has change the landscape of the sport in the United States.
“I think we’re ecstatic with everything that we’ve done. There’s a lot of unknowns when you come into a new league, a new format of basketball, a bunch of players who really don’t play together — how they’re going to mix coaches they haven’t worked with before. A lot of variables, right? Like, a lot of ways that things can go wrong,” Bazzell said. “But inevitably, it all meshed and kind of fit perfectly. It’s almost like it was destined to be.
“I think first and foremost, the thing we’re most proud about is we didn’t get everything right in Year 1, but the players have shown so much grace. … The foundation that we’ve laid is somewhat unparalleled in terms of a Year 1 kickoff. So, we’re really proud of what we’ve done, and obviously we still have some work to do.”
