Satellite can’t find her

The GIST: Tomorrow marks the two-year anniversary of Ally’s 50/50 Pledge, which aims to close the gender gap in sports advertising with an equal spend on women’s and men’s sports. The GIST checked in with Ally CMO Andrea Brimmer last week to commemorate the milestone and discuss where the brand hopes to expand next.

The update: Brimmer expects Ally to get “pretty close to 50/50” by the end of the year, far ahead of its scheduled 2027 deadline. Right now, the company estimates the spending split at 56/44 with slightly more going toward men’s sports like NASCAR.

• Ally kicked things off by announcing its Team Ally initiative last May, followed by sponsorship of the Ally Tipoff, the Atlantic Coast Conference, and The Soccer Tournament in 2023. This year, it became the sponsor of the U.S. Open, the Las Vegas Aces, and Wrexham Women in addition to renewing its NWSLPA agreement. Whew.

The strategy: Ally has a three-prong strategy for women’s sports. Ally creates media opportunities with legacy media partners and works with emerging female-owned platforms like Goals, Re—Inc, Just Women’s Sports, and The GIST. The third prong is to put money directly in athletes’ pockets, something it has done through Team Ally and its esports investments dedicated to women gamers.

The wins: In 2023, Ally’s brand value grew 32%, marking the biggest jump it’s seen in five years. Trust in the brand rose 10% last year, up 60% since 2017 — a surprising feat in an industry that’s been hit by a downturn in consumer trust. And brand love equals big business: Brimmer said deposits are up as Ally’s stock soars 70% YoY.

Next steps: Brimmer noted that Ally “would love to continue to expand in the women’s basketball space.” The brand is also thinking about its involvement in the media industry, specifically about how to pair with platforms like Amazon and ESPN as they get further into their NWSL deals. Brimmer also looks forward to supporting growth of brands like The GIST and Just Women’s Sports.

The takeaway: Ally has been rewarded with significant ROI as an early adopter in the women’s sports ecosystem, which includes supporting media entities and athletes. By committing to its pledge, the bank has been aggressively expanding in women’s sports while there are still many open opportunities, something that likely won’t be the case for long. On a (bank)roll.

The GIST: Broadcaster Scripps is a relative newcomer to the women’s sports space, but has already seen significant wins by investing in local markets and the emerging women’s sports sector. Scripps Sports president Brian Lawlor spoke with The GIST last month about what’s been working for the thriving platform.

The deals: Since Scripps Sports was launched in 2022 and Lawlor was named president, the company has inked deals with the WNBA, NWSL, and two NHL teams. Its $39M WNBA agreement to air Friday games on ION spans from 2023 to 2025, while its NWSL deal for Saturday night matches on Ion is part of the league’s record $240M media rights deal.

The why: Women’s sports are helping diversify Scripps’ existing audience from its previous Ion days. When Scripps bought the Ion Network in 2020, the channel was primarily procedural dramas and lacked something the other top networks had: sports. Lawlor looked at available media rights and saw an opportunity in the women’s game.

• “[Women’s sports’] biggest challenge was visibility — nobody could find it,” Lawlor said. “And we told the board back in November 2022, it’s really hard to be a women’s sports fan in America, there’s just no consistency.” Satellite can’t find her.

The audience: Lawlor mentioned that procedural dramas have consistently drawn women viewers, but women’s sports are drawing a younger, more diverse audience to the network. Plus, existing Scripps viewers are sticking around to watch sports, likely creating new women’s sports fans.

The takeaway: As a newcomer to the sports space, Scripps is strategically looking for growth opportunities with high ROI, and it makes sense to target women’s sports. With more properties up for sale in the coming years, Ion can position itself as a major player thanks to its early buy-in. Making (air)waves.