Searching for answers
From The GIST Sports Biz (hi@thegistsports.com)
Happy NGWSD!
Rising rap phenom Doechii can celebrate her recent Grammy win with an upcoming appearance at the Super Bowl — but it won’t be alongside Kendrick Lamar.
- The Tampa-born rapper — one of only three women to ever win the award for Best Rap Album — is at the center of MLS’ new branding campaign, which will debut in key local markets during next Sunday’s Super Bowl. Pick it up.
WNBA
🎓 Campus visit
The GIST: Birth control company Opill leveled up its WNBA partnership yesterday by increasing its collegiate campus presence. The two brands teamed up with the Black Women’s Health Imperative for IRL activations designed to inform Black women about their reproductive health and improve health equity while reaching another crucial demographic: college students. Right on.
The details: Adding to their existing collegiate initiative starring brand ambassador Napheesa Collier, the W and Opill will embark on a 15-stop campus tour across multiple states. HBCUs like Lincoln University and Spelman are included on the list, as well as a University of South Carolina stop that will feature WNBA–themed activations and player appearances.
The numbers: Opill told The GIST last year WNBA audiences overlap with a key demographic: young people looking for convenient birth control options. This growing demo loves the W: The league saw 259% growth in Gen Z and millennial women viewership YoY in 2024, which Opill benefited from by reaching 1.4M fans through WNBA activations last season.
The why: By sharing educational resources in person, both the WNBA and Opill have a decent shot at converting new fans. A Stanford University poll found college women’s basketball fans are more likely to become WNBA fans than NBA fans, so visiting schools with popular programs like South Carolina should allow the W to achieve its long-standing goal of winning over college fans.
Zooming out: Thanks to its in-person element and demographic focus, this represents a unique, mission-driven partnership for both Opill and the WNBA. Typically, the W invests in media partnerships, but hasn’t sought to recreate its All-Star marketing wins through other IRL experiences.
- This shift may be because it’s a new era for the WNBA: The brand has finally accumulated enough clout with the college crowd to capitalize on hype during the offseason. Convincing primed fans to follow NCAA heroes to the pros could be crucial for the league to build its audience. After all, who doesn’t love college?
Women’s sports
👀 Searching for answers
The GIST: This week, Google released its January Google Trends data report on search engine insights across sports. The data reflected key topics driving the conversation across women’s sports, including Unrivaled’s launch, NWSL expansion, and unexpected Australian Open winner Madison Keys. Keepin’ the servers busy.
📈 Interest in the search term “WNBA free agency” rose 1,100% in the U.S. In relation to this topic, “Satou Sabally news” was the top trending news search, while “WNBA free agency rules” was a breakout U.S. search, and Caitlin Clark’s “Indiana Fever” was the top team searched in relation to WNBA free agency.
🏀 Thanks to Unrivaled, “women's 3 on 3 basketball” was another breakout American search. This interest in Unrivaled was expected from a brand perspective, with so many partners aligning with the league and looking to see their name associated with it — even right up until tip-off.
⚽ Colorado was the top state searching for the NWSL following the announcement of Denver’s NWSL expansion franchise. Internet users were searching for tickets and jobs for the new team, as well as its name and where it will play. At least we have a potential lead on the colorway.
🎾 Madison Keys was the top trending athlete related to the Australian Open globally. Her search interest peaked in January, with most people looking for info on her age and career. Keys’ unexpected win is a reminder that tennis is still anyone’s game — brands should back rising stars, either with full endorsement deals or more unique strategies like Blue Owl’s.
👟 Nike dropped imagery and details for A’ja Wilson’s A’One clothing line, including a peek at her first-ever signature shoe. Pretty in pink.
💨 Grand Slam Track — the new league launched by Olympian Michael Johnson — announced a media rights deal with The CW Network and NBC Sports.
☀️ Roku and production company Hello Sunshine are launching a weekly talk show called Women’s Sports Now, hosted by former WNBA star Renee Montgomery.
⚽ Prime Video greenlit a docuseries that will focus on the NWSL’s 2024 playoffs and counts USWNT legend Alex Morgan and former NFL star Eli Manning among its producers.
🏐 Former NBA star and sports analyst Jalen Rose will co-host the Pro Volleyball Federation’s inaugural All-Star Event later this month.
📺 Fox CEO Lachlan Murdoch shared that the former Venu Sports backer will be launching its own direct-to-consumer sports service before the end of 2025, joining DirecTV and Comcast.
💰 Asset management firm Ariel Investments — whose president Mellody Hobson is involved in NWSL Denver ownership — launched a dedicated women’s sports fund, with the new expansion team as its first official investment.
📈 The Sportico Sports Stock Index enjoyed its highest monthly close in over three years last month thanks to Fubo’s massive win over Venu Sports, which influenced a 9% boost. When ends lead to dividends.
Giveaway Alert
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Hi. It’s us. We’re the recommenders, it’s us.
🏀 What to pre-order
Candace Parker’s book, The Can-Do Mindset, dropping on June 3rd. The WNBA legend shares her blueprint for success.
👕 What to wear
FUBU. The legendary Black-owned brand that shaped hip-hop and sports culture in the ’90s is still making waves.
⚾ What to read
This article diving into the history of Ontario’s all-Black organized baseball league.
Today's email was brought to you by Aryanna Prasad and Briana Ekanem. Fact checking by Bonnie Lee. Editing by Dee Lab. Operations by Elisha Gunaratnam and Marga Sison. Ads by Katie Kehoe Foster, Alessandra Puccio, and Lisa Minutillo. Managing edits by Molly Potter and Ellen Hyslop. Head of content Ellen Hyslop.