Setting the screen
From The GIST Sports Biz (hi@thegistsports.com)
Hi there!
This year’s new women’s sports leagues are enjoying a warm welcome. The PVF’s inaugural game last Wednesday in Omaha drew 11.6K fans, a record crowd for U.S. pro women’s volleyball. Then on Saturday, a PWHL match in Montréal broke Canada’s pro women’s hockey attendance record with 8.6K attendees.
- And the trend isn’t going anywhere. The PWHL just moved a February rivalry match between Toronto and Montréal to 19K-seater Scotiabank Arena in what’s being billed as the “Battle on Bay Street.” Sold.
WNBA
🏆 Crossover appeal
The GIST: After its first season received rave reviews, The Syd + TP Show was selected for the first-ever SLAM Film Festival. The February event will be the first dedicated exclusively to basketball content, and while most entries are men’s basketball features, the WNBA–focused unscripted comedy show is riding a months-long hype train. Getting air (time).
The show: The unscripted series follows Las Vegas Aces teammates Sydney Colson and Theresa Plaisance on their quest to go from self-described benchwarmers to “the faces of the WNBA.” It’s produced exclusively by Togethxr for Ryan Reynolds’ Maximum Effort (ME) production company and Fubo.
The rollout: In an exclusive December interview with The GIST, Fubo Studios head Pamela Duckworth called the show a “sleeper hit” after giving the show a “big press tour” last fall, a rarity for streamer titles.
- Colson and Plaisance starred in a Deloitte WNBA ad, emceed the USWNT’s Player’s Ball, and made appearances on prominent NBA and NFL podcasts and NFL Network. Plus, Colson appeared on The Daily Show. Booked and busy.
The future: Fubo Sports is already looking at Season 2 for The Syd + TP Show. Duckworth is planning a “nice marketing campaign” to relaunch the first season ahead of the second season’s premiere and is hoping to attract some women’s sports sponsorship heavy hitters like American Express or Ally. She also teased a few special appearances for next season — keep an eye out for NASCAR and NBA greats.
The takeaway: It’s rare to see athletes who aren’t starters get a show, then a PR campaign, then a second season. Thanks to Fubo’s big assist, the content landed in front of people and earned media hype — and a spot in SLAM’s festival slate. Mastering a new kind of screen.
Women’s golf
🇸🇦 Swing and a miss
The GIST: A massive merger between the LPGA Tour and the Ladies European Tour (LET) that was initially announced in 2019 was reportedly blocked late last year after Golf Saudi — one of LET’s largest financial backers through Saudi state oil company Aramco — intervened. Drama.
The details: The merger would have introduced seven co-sanctioned events worth a combined $11M while both tours operated independently. The sides were set to formally vote last November, but the LET mysteriously postponed the meeting, citing the need to review “additional information.” This month, LPGA commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan told players why: Golf Saudi.
- In 2021, Aramco agreed to become one of the LET’s biggest financial backers, a boon for an organization struggling due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, Aramco-sponsored events comprise $10M of the LET’s $43M season prize pot. Whole lotta green.
- Because of this, Golf Saudi wanted to fully analyze how an LPGA–LET merger would affect its existing events — the Aramco Saudi Ladies International and Aramco Team Series — before committing to the 2024 calendar, per Marcoux Samaan.
The context: Golf Saudi is operated by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), which also funds LIV Golf. The PIF is utilizing its LET access to gain a women’s golf foothold, but an LPGA merger could potentially threaten its influence — especially since other U.S. women’s sports leagues have been reluctant to allow Saudi investment. This town ain’t big enough for the two of us.
The future: If nothing else, the move sends a message — even without an established league of its own, Golf Saudi has the power to influence women’s golf. Whether Saudi Arabia eventually builds its own women’s tour or continues bankrolling the LET, it’s clear that leaders want a seat at the table for global golf deals.
Together With The GIST
🎙️ Sound on
If you love The GIST’s newsletters, you’re going to love our twice-weekly podcast, The GIST of It. Hosted by besties Ellen Hyslop and Stephanie Rotz, it’s the women-produced and -hosted sports pod you’ve been waiting for. Talk about a golazo.
El and Steph dive into current sports topics and how they intersect with society and pop culture. They cover everything from season previews to calling out the sexist BS that’s rampant across the industry.
Join the conversation by subscribing to The GIST of It wherever you tune into podcasts. Happy listening.
💸 Iowa’s WBB team generated over $3.8M in total revenue during 2022-23, more than double any other year thanks to $1.44M in ticket sales. Call it the Caitlin Clark effect.
🎓 Three USC officials testified in its labor case that teams and athletic departments technically don’t have or enforce rules in an attempt to weaken the athletes’ case as employees.
🐅 Axios launched an entertainment division with a debut project focusing on LSU NIL stars like Olivia Dunne, Angel Reese, Flau’jae Johnson, and Jayden Daniels. Geaux figure.
🏀 Last week’s South Carolina–LSU game averaged 1.56M viewers, topping the 1.38M viewers for the simultaneous Boston Celtics–Miami Heat broadcast on TNT.
🎾 World No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka became the first woman in a decade to repeat as Australian Open champion, winning $2M along the way. Smashing.
⚽ Chelsea signed Mayra Ramírez from Spain’s Levante, paying a transfer fee of up to $542K — the highest for a women’s soccer player ever.
💄 Angel City FC announced NYX Professional Makeup as a founding-level partner and the club’s exclusive makeup sponsor.
👀 Ex–Arena Group chairman Ross Levinsohn accused board members of illegal behavior and union-busting tactics in his resignation letter, citing this and recent layoffs as his reasons for leaving.
Here’s what has GIST HQ buzzing:
🎾 What to snag tix to
The National Bank Open. Canada is the place to be in August for all the tennis action. Grab your ticket before they sell out!
🚺 What to check out
The Playbook for Brands to Win in Women's Sports. This webinar covers all things innovation, inspiration, and hope in women’s sports. Join the convo on January 31st at 3 p.m. ET.
🎧 What to listen to
This episode of Sometimes I Hoop. UCLA’s Lauren Betts joins host and Atlanta Dream guard Haley Jones to talk college basketball and the competitive NCAA schedule.
Today's email was brought to you by Aryanna Prasad and Briana Ekanem. Fact checking by Bonnie Lee. Editing by Lindsay Jost. Operations by Elisha Gunaratnam and Lisa Minutillo. Ads by Lauren Tuiskula, Dee Lab and Alexis Allison. Managing edits by Molly Potter and Ellen Hyslop.