A league of their own
From The GIST Sports Biz (hi@thegistsports.com)
Hi there!
Boston is known for its love of sports, and it’s not just the Big Four. This weekend, 15K-seater TD Garden hosted the 2025 ISU World Figure Skating championships, where American Alysa Liu — who was the youngest woman ever to land a triple axel at age 13 — made history again this week as the first American woman in 19 years to win a world figure skating title before a sold-out crowd. Flawless.
Women’s sports
🎙️ A league of their own
The GIST: This weekend, the Pro Volleyball Federation (PVF) premiered its new Team Spotlight Series on YouTube. While women’s sports are winning more primetime coverage and network support than ever before, both emerging and established leagues are still successfully leveraging their own broadcasts to reach fans.
- Let’s touch base with a few other women’s leagues to illustrate how owning and streaming content not only gives them a bump with networks, but also creates a major selling point for brand partnerships. Killin’ it.
🏒 The PWHL launches its PWHL Media House. The PWHL doesn’t just want to join the hockey conversation, it wants to be the hockey conversation. The league wants its media arm to generate discussion around women’s hockey, and it got things started by acquiring the Jocks in Jills podcast, which has already attracted brand sponsorship from SharkNinja, Canadian Tire, and Nobis.
- Companies often focus directly on sponsoring leagues, but as these brands have shown, listeners tend to show love to podcast sponsors as well.
🥞 LOVB recruits veteran and rookie journalistic talent. The volleyball league is filling out iHeart Radio’s Women’s Sports Audio Network roster with its own pod, Serving Pancakes, hosted by journalist Tiffany Oshinsky and LOVB Austin’s Khat Bell. While agency Deep Blue is leading this project, there’s other opportunities for sponsor-produced content like Rebel Girls’ Gen Alpha–led LOVB series.
🎬 The NWSL offers behind-the-scenes footage to Amazon Prime. In addition to broadcasting regular-season games, the soccer league worked with Amazon Studios on For The Win, a four-part docuseries about last year’s playoffs. The league also continues to find creative ways to foster interest outside its $240M broadcast deal, such as its agreement with Roku to build an NWSL hub.
Zooming out: Women’s sports fans may finally be getting mainstream love, but the efforts to create accessible, free content distribution is baked into its DNA — and that’s a good thing. While leagues benefit from network support and distribution, airing games on platforms like YouTube is especially important for the PWHL, which still doesn’t have a deal with a U.S. linear TV network.
- It’s also good for brands who can work out deals with leagues directly to sponsor fan-favorite content instead of being forced to negotiate for ad space with linear TV networks. Winners on the way.
👀 UConn star Paige Bueckers declares for 2025 WNBA Draft amid changing hoops landscape
Last Friday, Bueckers announced she’s declaring for the 2025 WNBA Draft, but she may not hit the court until 2026 if she decides to hold out. The UConn guard has one year to sign with the team that drafts her, or she could re-enter the draft in 2026 — when the W should have a new CBA in place with higher rookie salaries.
- But why declare at all? Moving to the pros means Bueckers will be able to participate in Unrivaled — the 3v3 league she already has equity stake in — and will likely level up her existing NIL deals. Got stacks on deck.
⚽ Owner David Blitzer expected to sell Utah-based NWSL and MLS teams
Per Sportico, Blitzer is already in advanced talks to sell control stakes in MLS’ Real Salt Lake and the NWSL’s Utah Royals, which hit the field (again) last season. Sources believe the Miller family — who previously owned the NBA’s Utah Jazz — is the frontrunner for the two clubs, which are valued at $525M and $70M, respectively.
👟 Nike set to win over women’s sports fans with Togethxr collab
On Friday, Nike expanded its existing partnership with women athlete–driven media and merch platform Togethxr to capitalize on its iconic Everyone Watches Women’s Sports collection. The line, which now features Nike materials and branding, will be sold in select Nike and Dick’s Sporting Goods stores across the U.S. after the collection generated $6M in revenue in 2024.
- Beyond the Togethxr deal, Nike is seizing the $4B opportunity in women’s sports merch with several key collaborations, including its signature unisex shoe with NY Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu and its recent Skims partnership. Quick on their feet.
🏛️ A federal indictment claims former Michigan assistant football coach Matt Weiss targeted thousands of women student-athletes across the country by hacking into their personal accounts to access intimate photos and videos.
💸 Breanna Stewart signed a one-year contract to remain with the NY Liberty amid the WNBA free agency trend of single-season deals ahead of the league’s impending CBA negotiations. Smart.
🏈 ESPN sports betting analyst Erin Dolan will fulfill a new on-air role for the network’s UFL coverage and provide betting insights around the professional men’s spring football league.
💼 The Chicago Bears tapped former Big Ten CFO and treasurer Laura Anderson to become the NFL team’s senior vice president of administration and chief financial officer.
🤸 USA Gymnastics extended its multiyear partnership with Comcast through 2028, maintaining the Xfinity brand as the title partner for its gymnastics championship.
🎟️ Manchester City has a new global agreement with ticket marketplace Viagogo that includes flexibility for customers to resell their tickets on the platform.
⛵ 11th Hour Racing expanded its deal with professional sailor Francesca Clapcich, who aspires to make history as the first woman from either the U.S. or Italy to compete in the Vendée Globe. Come sail away.
Together With Margo Paige
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Here’s what has GIST HQ buzzing:
🏀 What to get excited about
A new WNBA Comedy Series, ‘The W’. A scripted comedy about women’s basketball? Say less. Peacock is bringing The W, from Chiney Ogwumike and the creators of GLOW.
🎧 What to listen to
This episode of The World. From Ukraine to Notre Dame, rising basketball star Kate Koval is ready for her first March Madness.
🤝 Who’s teaming up
Always Alpha x Deep Blue Sports. These women-owned agencies are joining forces to rep female athletes and secure big-time brand deals.
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