The unparalleled women's basketball league commences on Friday. Discover all the details here.

• Women's basketball league Unrivaled will play its first games on Friday night.
• So far, the league has secured $35 million in funding, with notable contributions from athletes such as Coco Gauff and Alex Morgan.
• The WNBA's record-setting ratings in 2024 sparked a surge in interest, which Unrivaled aims to capitalize on.

A new 3-on-3 women's professional basketball league debuts on Friday, providing a significant challenge and chance for women's sports to increase its visibility in the US.

The league, founded by WNBA superstars Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart, has already secured sponsorship deals with a dozen companies and raised $35 million in funding. Collier stated on CNBC that the league has already demonstrated its immense potential and opportunity.

""As we invest in players and women's sports, we are already seeing a return, and this is just the beginning of our journey in year one," she stated excitedly."

TNT Sports will broadcast games as part of a multiyear media rights agreement, with TV ratings being evaluated based on both total viewership and demographics, according to Lee Berke, president and CEO of LHB Sports, Entertainment & Media.

"Berke stated to CNBC that the target audience is younger men and women, and the focus is on the size of the audience. He emphasized the importance of the initial viewership and the growth of the audience throughout the season."

Here's what to know about Unrivaled ahead of its inaugural tip-off:

How the league works

The first season of Unrivaled will consist of six teams competing against each other for two months, leading to a four-team playoff tournament with the championship taking place on March 17. Additionally, a 1-on-1 player tournament will be held during the middle of the season.

The NBA's 3-on-3 games are played on a smaller court and last one hour. They are broadcast on TNT on Fridays and Mondays and on TruTV on Saturdays, and can also be streamed on WBD's Max.

During the WNBA offseason, games are held at the Mediapro US venue in Medley, Florida, a Miami suburb, as an alternative to playing overseas.

The WNBA's 2020 collective bargaining agreement suspends players without pay if they don't return from their overseas teams in time for training camp, which starts on April 27. Many WNBA players spend their offseason playing for teams in Russia, China and other countries to supplement their income.

Alex Bazzell, Unrivaled president and Collier's husband, previously stated to CNBC that it is attempting to fill a calendar gap for these players by extending the runway of professional basketball.

How players are paid

The WNBA will pay many players a higher salary than unrivaled, with a total salary pool of over $8 million, averaging out to about $242,000 per player this season. Additionally, players will receive equity and revenue shares from the league, which is offering the highest average salary in women's professional sports league history.

The salary range for WNBA players annually is between $66,079 and $249,244, with only one player per team being eligible to earn the maximum amount.

Who's involved

The league's first season has 36 participants, all of whom played in the WNBA last year. Among them are 15 2024 WNBA All Stars, including All-WNBA first-team honorees Collier, Stewart, and Alyssa Thomas. Notable players on the rosters include Sabrina Ionescu, Brittney Griner, and Angel Reese.

Unrivaled has secured $35 million in funding from seed and Series A rounds, with notable investors including basketball stars, Olympians, and a tennis great.

While others are now realizing the growth of women's sports, sports figures have long recognized the worth of the industry.

"Collier stated, "I believe the athletes in sport have long recognized the value of support from their peers. Seeing their fellow athletes' encouragement is truly inspiring and reinforces the belief in our abilities.""

Collier stated that their corporate partners share their vision of expanding the sport.

"Collier stated that for a long time, this was not a charity. Instead, it was a great business opportunity that brands recognized. They were not acting out of altruism, but rather because they believed in the growth of women's sports and its potential for profitability."

A number of companies have partnered with Unrivaled, including Sephora, State Farm, Wilson, Ally Financial, and Samsung. Recently, Unrivaled announced Sprite as its presenting partner for the 1-on-1 tournament and Bodyarmor as its official sports drink.

Berke was impressed by the large number of high-quality nontraditional sports sponsors.

The Unrivaled coverage team at TNT Sports features two-time WNBA MVP Candace Parker and Basketball Hall of Famer Lisa Leslie.

Why it matters

Amid a surge in national interest in women's sports, particularly basketball, Unrivaled makes its debut.

The WNBA experienced a surge in popularity during the season, with former college stars Caitlin Clark, Cameron Brink, and Reese leading an attention-grabbing rookie class. The league broke an all-time record with over 54 million unique viewers and saw its best in-person attendance numbers in 22 years.

The 2019 WNBA Finals, where the New York Liberty won against the Minnesota Lynx in five games, was the league's most-watched championship series in 25 years, as per ESPN.

The WNBA is introducing a new format for the Finals, a best-of-seven series, starting next year. Additionally, the league is debuting a new franchise, the Golden State Valkyries, and adding teams in Toronto and Portland, Oregon, in 2026.

The WNBA and its players are set to capitalize on the current trend.

The league has the option to reassess its 11-year, $2.2 billion media rights deal after 2028, as previously reported by CNBC. Additionally, the WNBA players union opted out of their current collective bargaining agreement in October. A new agreement, set to take effect after the next season, could offer players higher wages and more benefits. The increasing attention on WNBA athletes provides them with greater bargaining power at the negotiating table.

The business of women's basketball will be significantly impacted by unrivaled, according to Collier's statement to CNBC.

"Collier stated that we are already witnessing an expansion of the landscape with overseas and domestic league contracts increasing. We aim to broaden the conventional thinking about the business of women's sports and will continue to push for the same objectives in the CBA."

This report was contributed to by Lillian Rizzo, Jake Piazza, and Alex Sherman of CNBC.