A hard launch
From The GIST Sports Biz (hi@thegistsports.com)
Happy Women’s History Month!
There’s no better way to start March than with a generational talent making history on her own terms. Yesterday, Iowa superstar Caitlin Clark officially declared for the 2024 WNBA Draft, almost certainly guaranteeing she’ll play alongside 2023 WNBA Rookie of the Year Aliyah Boston on the Indiana Fever. Indy is ready to catch Caitlin Fever.
Women’s American football
🏈 Fielding their goals
The GIST: Parity — a platform that connects pro women athletes to aggregated marketing and sponsorship opportunities — was named the official development partner of the Women’s Football Alliance (WFA) yesterday. Through the deal, over 2K WFA athletes will join the more than 1K Parity athletes who have already earned a collective $3.5M through the platform. Touchdown.
The league: Founded in 2009, the WFA is a semi-professional women’s American football league that currently boasts 60 teams across three divisions. Its top-tier WFA Pro league airs its championship game on ESPN2 and the Women’s Sports Network — one that its juggernaut squad, the Boston Renegades, have won a consecutive five times.
The details: Much like its recent partnership with the USL’s Tampa Bay FC, Parity will offer its suite of services to the WFA, including access to the company’s virtual platform. The platform hosts sponsorship opportunities and professional development training, as well as informational sessions about Parity’s offerings.
- This should help WFA athletes like DC Divas wide receiver Lois Cook and Boston’s Adrienne Smith, who landed an extensive Got Milk campaign in 2022. By partnering with Parity, more WFA athletes will be connected to sponsorship opportunities like this — especially important considering they often have to pay to play professional football.
The trend: Women’s football is on the rise. Parity CEO Leela Srinivasan noted that the WFA is a “talent feeder” for the Olympic flag football team that will compete in LA28. While the NFL is rapidly developing flag football programs for girls, the WFA (and competitor league WNFC) spent years building league infrastructure to allow women to play professionally.
- Thanks to Parity’s assistance, athletes will be able to enjoy the Olympic spotlight and sponsorships. Srinivasan recently told The GIST that Parity’s expansion into partnerships with teams and leagues specifically helps brands who want to invest in women’s sports but are building sponsorship rosters from scratch. What a (fair) catch.
Together With The GIST
👕 Wear your heart on your sleeve
Want to show off your support for women in sports? We thought so. And with The GIST’s capsule collection, you can. The pieces are sporty, bold, and playful…just like our GIST community.
Speaking of, this drop truly has something for everyone: Basketball-specific threads for hoops fans, “leveling the playing field” looks if you love making a statement, and tennis tees if you want to, ahem, serve.
But don’t just take our word for it, check it out for yourself. Happy shopping!
💸 The Caitlin Clark Effect continues as jersey and ticket values rise
In her last season at Iowa, Caitlin Clark is taking it all the way to the bank. A new estimate suggests Clark’s jersey — which she wore when she broke Kelsey Plum’s NCAA scoring record — could fetch around $200K, and could climb even more if she breaks Pete Maravich’s all-time basketball scoring record.
- The Clark name holds a lot of currency these days. Iowa–Ohio State is slated to be the most expensive WBB game in history with an average ticket price of $577. The top five most expensive games so far this year already belong to the Hawkeyes, as do FOX and NBC women’s basketball viewership records.
🏎️ Motorsport expert discusses F1 Academy expansion
BlackBook Motorsport’s Cian Brittle spoke with Sports Pro Media this week about the second season of women’s motorsport series F1 Academy. He noted that while the league didn’t seem prepared in 2023, this year represents a “hard launch,” especially with Charlotte Tilbury, Tommy Hilfiger, and two more unnamed sponsors signing on.
- Brittle also explained that it’s critical for brands to support F1 Academy athletes as the series develops because unlike other sports, motorsport athletes distinguish themselves by bringing sponsorship dollars to the table.
📱 Athletes Unlimited (AU) partners with ScorePlay to create digital content hub
Women’s pro sports leagues network AU partnered with sports technology company ScorePlay on Wednesday to improve accessibility and the digital experience for fans. AU will be the first pro women’s league to leverage ScorePlay’s technology, joining Major League Pickleball and men’s rugby’s Super League.
- Shifting from multiple applications to ScorePlay’s singular, cohesive platform is a smart play by AU that will make its schedules, content offerings, and updates easier to follow. There’s an app for that.
🎾 Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund announced an extensive partnership with the ATP as the country reportedly engages in partnership talks with the WTA.
⛸️ Howard University figure skaters became the first HBCU students to compete in an intercollegiate figure skating competition. Making all the Bison proud.
🎮 Video game giant EA announced its intention to lay off approximately 5% of its 13.4K workforce, or around 670 employees as part of a board-approved restructuring plan.
🍺 A Bar of Their Own — a sports bar for women’s sports — opens in Minneapolis just as the Big Ten basketball tournament comes to town, joining establishments like Portland’s The Sports Bra and Seattle’s Rough & Tumble Pub.
🎿 Olympic skiing legend and longtime Utah resident Lindsey Vonn expanded her investment portfolio with an ownership stake in the NWSL’s Utah Royals. Pow!
👀 Paramount president Bob Bakish questioned the “consumer appetite” for Disney, FOX, and Warner Bros. Discovery’s joint streaming venture — one that Fubo has already filed a lawsuit against.
🏆 APSE launched the Billie Jean King Award For Excellence in Women’s Sports Coverage, an annual journalism prize for covering women’s and girls’ sports.
Giveaway Alert
Looking for a getaway? Well, bust out your hiking gear because we want to give you the opportunity to explore Banff, Canada.
- This prize pack includes $500 cash for your flight, $500 towards your accommodations, gift cards, and so much more to create a memorable experience in the Canadian Rocky Mountains. See you soon, eh?
Hi. It’s us. We’re the recommenders, it’s us.
🏄 What to read
About Tahiti’s preparation for the Paris Olympics. As part of French Polynesia, the island will play host to surfing events this summer, but locals are concerned about protecting their way of life amid hundreds of guests.
🥛 What to drink
Milk. But how much of it do kids and adults really need, and is it the new sports drink?
📖 Where to meet
In your inbox for The GIST Book Club’s discussion on February’s book of the month, Us Against You by Fredrik Backman. Subscribe to The GIST Book Club’s newsletters to keep the conversation going.
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