Getting the best deal
From The GIST Sports Biz (hi@thegistsports.com)
Leveling The Playing Field
Thanks for tuning in!
Today, Scripps Sports is launching the Scripps Sports Network, a FAST channel airing at least 100 live events across 2026. Scripps pitched the concept as a way to advertise across new and emerging women’s sports leagues whose content will be widely accessible and cost-effective for fans.
- State Farm is signed on as a sponsor, and the FAST channel is already winning over women’s sports leagues who want widespread exposure. The PWHL — which is partnering with Scripps for its national broadcast this Saturday — will air its May championship on the new channel. Icy style tournaments.
College sports
💰 Getting the best deal
The GIST: With March Madness finally here, we spoke with Terése Whitehead and Kim DeCarolis, who lead NIL and commercial strategy at Michigan and Georgia, respectively. Both are embedded on campus through their work with Altius Sports Partners, which launched in 2020 and has quickly become a leading strategic advisor for college athletic departments.
- Before NIL, Whitehead drove billions in athlete licensing revenue through the NFL Players Association, while DeCarolis carved out her path in college sports and brand partnerships. Both spoke to how changes in the NIL landscape prime women athletes to uniquely profit. Built for this.
The landscape: Amid new NIL rules, DeCarolis said “the biggest shift is simply the volume.” She noted how pro sports focus on optimizing revenue, structuring brand partnerships, and building athletes’ value — something NIL deals are now doing at the collegiate level. This professionalization doesn’t just benefit athletes: There’s a whole economy around facilitating NIL deals.
The role of women athletes: This new infrastructure is able to capitalize on the existing demand around women athletes, says Whitehead. “It’s no longer about proving interest. It’s about building the right platforms to support it,” she said. Brands are recognizing the value of women athletes, especially in what she called the “trifecta of fan loyalty to the sport, to the school, and to the athlete.”
- Whitehead noted how women student-athletes drive higher engagement than men, but their impact goes beyond numbers: Their authenticity and relatability is “what brands are looking for.” She identified “strong momentum” in basketball, volleyball, and gymnastics, where there’s a strong pipeline from college to pro leagues or the Olympics.
- And the rise of on-campus content studios allows athletes to “show up professionally and consistently, which matters in a social driven environment.” Since women athletes are “natural storytellers,” content studios give them the tools to elevate that — something we’ll explore at length soon in Overtime’s new content studio at UConn.
The brand response: DeCarolis said those who think NIL primarily caters to men’s football and basketball are missing the big picture. “For brands, women’s sports offer something powerful. Not just visibility, but a deeply engaged audience.”
- This direct feedback from brands is supported by leading projections, with Opendorse projecting last year that total NIL spend in women’s sports would reach $663.3M by 2027-28, up from $305.9M in 2021-22. Sailin ’ across the sun.
📱 Portland Fire shares stats on viral Portlandia collaboration
Following our Saturday Scroll featuring Raj Sports co-founder Lisa Bhathal Merage, the Portland Fire shared social media stats on its viral campaign with Portlandia stars Carrie Brownstein and Fred Armisen. The concept, which plays on the quirky local culture central to the sketch comedy show, is something “people are going crazy over” in Portland, said Bhathal Merage.
- Per the team, the original schedule drop video generated over 1M impressions and 930K video views, reaching over 310K Instagram accounts, 82% of which were non-followers. Additionally, the video was reposted over 400 times on X, leading to over 2K profile visits. Simply glamorous.
🏈 Fanatics, NFL miss women’s flag football opportunity at first-ever Flag Football Classic
On Saturday, Fanatics hosted its first-ever Flag Football Classic as the NFL ramps up its flag investment and uses star power to attract viewers. Legendary quarterback Tom Brady hit the field and managed to evade pass rushers, but Team USA’s flag team won out again and again, quelling concerns that they’d handedly lose Olympic spots to NFL players.
- Though NFL participation (and that of Speed and other creators) was certainly a part of the marketing appeal, Fanatics missed an opportunity to involve women athletes like Ashlea Klam and Diana Flores.
📺 Boston hotel offers pop-up women’s sports bar honoring iconic local athletes
Boston — home of a new record-setting NWSL club — is getting a women’s sports bar…at least for a few weeks. The Envoy Hotel is transforming its on-site bar, Para Maria, into a pop-up women’s sports bar concept through the end of April.
- It will be named “261 Para Maria,” a nod to Boston Marathon hero and friend of The GIST Kathrine Switzer. Local athletes will be honored by photo displays and with custom food and cocktails like the “Kathrine Spritzer” and “Aerin’s Caesar Salad” named for the Fleet goalie’s favorite hobby. Refreshing.
The sports business world doesn’t exist without fans, but most spaces ignore that overlap. The GIST Plus — our premium membership community — is where those worlds actually meet.
When you join, you’ll see how fans react to news in real-time, while connecting with people building careers in sports. TL;DR? It’s less performative networking and more meaningful discussion.
If staying up-to-speed in sports is part of your job, try The GIST Plus today.
🏀 The new WNBA CBA was officially ratified with the agreement spanning seven years and, amid all the improvements in player salaries, also allows for regular-season expansion from 44 games to 52. Can’t wait.
🏈 The Women’s National Football Conference named influencer Carmen Antunez as its “Chief Turn Up Officer” for the 2026 season in the league’s first official creator partnership.
🍟 Wendy’s signed college basketball stars Sarah Graves and Breya Cunningham to its “Wendy’s Dunk Team” and promised to broker more NIL deals following dunks in the tournament.
🚫 The NCAA’s media use policy is discouraging teams from posting their own March Madness highlights unless they want to pay a costly fee. In need of some serious highlights.
💸 The NCAA filed a lawsuit against DraftKings for the betting platform’s use of trademarked NCAA phrases, including “March Madness,” “Final Four,” “Elite Eight,” and “Sweet Sixteen.”
💼 Bankers began interviewing prospective bidders for ownership of sports and entertainment agency Wasserman following the agency’s rebrand as The Team.
🏛️ The Senate rejected president Trump’s measure to ban trans athletes in women’s sports. Protect trans athletes.
👟 What to snag
A’ja Wilson’s A’Two sneakers. The reigning WNBA MVP’s second signature Nike shoe drops globally on May 2nd. Signature era, loading.
🎳 What to watch
Born to Bowl. Produced by A24 and Ben Stiller and narrated by Liev Schreiber, the HBO docuseries dives into the surprisingly eccentric world of professional bowling. Game on.
📖 What to read
A Letter to My Son. In this emotional essay for The Players’ Tribune, Las Vegas Aces star Chelsea Gray reflects on balancing motherhood and professional basketball and bringing her son Lennox along for the journey.
Today's email was brought to you by Aryanna Prasad Bhullar and Briana Ekanem. Fact checking by Bonnie Lee. Operations by Elisha Gunaratnam. Ads by Katie Kehoe Foster, Alessandra Puccio, and Lisa Minutillo. Managing edits by Molly Potter, Katie Kehoe Foster, and Ellen Hyslop. Head of content Ellen Hyslop.