Recipe for success
From The GIST Sports Biz (hi@thegistsports.com)
TGIF!
The WNBA’s Indiana Fever are still pulling in huge viewership stats, even though star guard Caitlin Clark has been sidelined with a quad injury since late May. While ratings have dipped somewhat, the numbers show how one superstar can convert casual newbies to dedicated fans. Looks like the Caitlin Clark Effect is built to last.
Women’s sports
📈 A recipe for success
The GIST: Unlike the limit, the perfect women’s sports brand marketing strategy does exist — at least according to Parity, who released its latest research report yesterday about the business of women’s sports. Let’s dive into the deets.
The trends: The TL;DR? Women’s sports are thriving, especially in leagues with proven staying power. A whopping 51% of women’s sports fans surveyed identify as WNBA fans while the WTA (20%), NWSL (19%), and LPGA (19%) are the next most popular entities.
- That’s not to say new leagues aren’t making an impact. The PWHL, for example, has strong viewership numbers in the Northeast (10%) and Midwest (11%), and with expansion looming, there’s potential for substantial growth in their newest market out West (2%).
- However, the biggest game-changer for brands is partnering with women athletes. According to Parity, 68% of sports fans trust products promoted by women athletes. And that impact is universal: Even fans who never watch women’s sports are buying in, with 58% reporting that same trust, up 6% YoY.
The specifics: The influence of women athletes isn’t limited to certain brand categories either, though apparel, food and beverage, and health and beauty reigned supreme in both fan awareness and likelihood to purchase. In fact, one in four women’s sports fans said women’s sports sponsorships makes them more likely to buy.
- And that trend is even more pronounced when it comes to Gen Z and millennial consumers — 46% report they’d be more likely to purchase from a brand that sponsors a woman athlete or women’s team. Now that’s good business.
The takeaway: Investing in both women’s sports as a whole and women athletes individually is a proven win for brands, especially as leagues continue to expand their fanbases. But investment itself and ensuring those sponsorships are visible to the general public can require different strategies.
- Fan awareness in categories like apparel is high (63% of women’s sports fans reported being aware of clothing sponsorships), but brands in more niche categories like travel, insurance, and tech don’t necessarily have the same visibility. That means additional partnerships with media companies are integral to maximize ROI. *winks*
WTA
🎾 The fight to freeze
The GIST: On Wednesday, the WTA announced it will protect the rankings of players who take time away to pursue fertility treatments like egg or embryo freezing. It’s the latest move from a pro sports organization to formally accommodate athletes’ family planning, demonstrating new ways to compassionately address the unique challenges women athletes face.
The impetus: The WTA first offered ranking protections for new mothers in 2018 thanks to the influence of tennis GOAT Serena Williams, whose world ranking fell to No. 453 after taking maternity leave for the birth of her daughter, Olympia.
- Rankings are crucial to elite tennis players because they impact seedings for major tournaments — and Williams, arguably the sport’s most dominant athlete, failed to be seeded for the French Open after her return, making her path to a championship significantly harder.
- With rankings protected, players can take time away from the sport for maternity leave or fertility treatments, then use an average of their pre-leave rankings to enter up to three tournaments upon their return.
The landscape: Increased protections for new and aspiring parents are becoming more common in the pro sports space, from brand deals to CBAs, and are reportedly central to the WNBA’s upcoming negotiations.
- The WTA also began to offer athletes up to 12 months of paid maternity leave in March. This new protection for fertility treatments further acknowledges and attempts to alleviate the significant family-building challenges elite women athletes face.
Zooming out: When women athletes face gaps in quality care and access, it provides a unique opportunity for brands to build affinity with fans by aligning with the moment. Take, for example, when Delta Air Lines filled the WNBA’s charter flight gap or when Athleta partnered with Team USA sprinter Allyson Felix after Nike failed to accommodate her pregnancy.
- In today’s movement to help women athletes pursue parenthood on their terms and without jeopardizing their careers, brands can bolster their reputation with fans — and have a real impact on players’ lives. Love that.
💸 A new study from Wasserman’s The Collective examined what drives women to engage with brands, introducing six marketing personas brands can target.
🚘 Gatorade became F1 Academy’s first-ever official sports drink through a recent five-year deal.
💄 Makeup brand E.l.f. will host activations at San Diego Wave FC and KC Current matches aimed at amplifying the fan experience.
🎽 Nike created new technologies, including a sports bra, to help elite runner Faith Kipyegon attempt a sub-four-minute mile at a sponsored event. Talk about support.
⚖️ A group of women athletes appealed the landmark House v. NCAA settlement, arguing that its backpay stipulations violate Title IX.
❌ Grand Slam Track canceled its LA season finale, indicating troubles even as the org brought on new investors. Hmm.
🏒 A record number of women and girls are hitting the ice, with USA Hockey reporting that over 98K players are currently registered, up 5% YoY.
🎾 Wimbledon announced a record prize pool of $72.8M: Singles champs will be the biggest beneficiaries, pocketing $4M each, an 11% YoY increase. Aces.
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Here’s what has GIST HQ buzzing:
💰 What number to know
$85B. That’s the combined net worth of the 11 richest women sports team owners — a small but mighty crew changing the game.
📺 What to celebrate
An inclusive finale. The NHL’s ASL alt-cast is back for the Stanley Cup Final, featuring full play-by-play, commentary, and visuals for Deaf and hard-of-hearing fans.
🏀 Who to follow
LeagueFits for all the WNBA tunnel looks. Hoops meets high fashion every single game day.
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