Heading into Monday’s WNBA Draft, Ice Dice’s supply to Caitlin Clark to play in his Big3 league nonetheless stands at $5 million for eight video games.

For Ice Dice and Big3 companion Jeff Kwatinetz—founder and CEO of manufacturing firm/report label/administration company The Agency—the profitable supply to affix the Big3 subsequent season isn’t a advertising and marketing transfer. Very similar to drawing Procter & Gamble, Merck and Capital One as sponsors for the upcoming Big3 season, the supply to Clark is a enterprise determination primarily based on uncommon alternative.

“It’s actually about being a fan: Being a fan of the sport, being a fan of my heroes, like Dr. J, Iceman, Rick Barry and Gary Payton,” Ice Dice instructed ADWEEK. “And ensuring if you happen to’re gonna invite them to dinner, you higher not don’t have any fucking paper plates. Pull out the good things.”

And Clark requires the good things.

Clark units the bar

The numbers round Clark communicate for themselves.

ESPN’s record-breaking viewership throughout Clark’s March Insanity run with Iowa averaged 18.9 million in the course of the NCAA championship sport and peaked at almost 25 million—a mean viewers bigger than any non-NFL sports activities broadcast past the Ohio State-Michigan soccer matchup.

Showcasing Clark’s star energy, the WNBA lately launched its schedule of video games throughout broadcast and streaming companions ESPN, CBS Tv Community/Paramount+, CBS Sports activities Community, ION, NBA TV and Prime Video—which simply signed a multi-year rights extension with the league. These broadcasts embrace 36 of the 40 scheduled video games of Clark’s presumptive crew, the Indiana Fever.

Actually, the E.W. Scripps Firm’s upfront pitch deck already touts the truth that the corporate’s ION channel will air extra Caitlin Clark Fever matchups (8) than every other outlet.

“With the vitality and pleasure already generated by what we anticipate can be a star-studded rookie class, and on the heels of a 2023 season that featured one of many biggest MVP races in WNBA historical past and our most-watched common season in over twenty years, the WNBA’s broadcast and streaming companions are providing an enormous nationwide platform,” stated WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert.