Goin’ places
From The GIST Sports Biz (hi@thegistsports.com)
Happy Monday!
It ’s only the second week of the NFL season, meaning we’re bound to see more of singer Meghan Trainor in State Farm’s latest ad in the coming months. It seems the insurance company is taking a page out of E.l.f.’s NFL commercial playbook and is already reaping the benefits when it comes to brand association, recognition, likability, and attention. All about that (consumer) base.
Women’s sports
🚗 Like a rolling stone
The GIST: Front Office Sports recently examined a trend among leagues like the Premier Lacrosse League (PLL) and Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL): Traveling teams and exhibition matches are a smart way to identify prime markets before establishing permanent teams. Let’s explore when traveling teams work and what this format means for sponsors. Goin’ places.
PLL and AUSL: The PLL remains a touring league despite committing teams to cities in 2024. There are no permanent venues yet, but the men’s lacrosse league is selling out events and has seen YoY ticket revenue growth. However, its newly-launched Maybelline Women’s Lacrosse League already has fixed cities and will expand its schedule in 2026.
- AUSL debuted this year with four teams playing 24 games in 10 different cities, and the women’s softball league only needed one season on the road before deciding to move to a traditional league model in 2026. But it’s worth noting AU’s extensive history with market testing across its leagues, from softball’s Rosemont roots to basketball’s Nashville home.
The context: Other leagues have toured teams to test markets, from WNBA Canada games to the PWHL’s Takeover Tour, which helped the league expand into Seattle and Vancouver. Exhibition games have converted new fans in basketball and hockey: About 80% of Takeover Tour attendees were at their first PWHL game, and the league saw a 30% boost in followers during the roadshow.
- Emerging leagues in niche sports, like pickleball’s PPA Tour, seem focused on bringing the sport to smaller grassroots markets. PPA Tour stops in Arkansas, Wisconsin, and Illinois have been welcomed, especially since they offer significant economic impact: Last month’s PPA Challenger Series was projected to generate $800K in revenue in Edwardsville, Illinois.
- However, not all niche start-up leagues need to begin this way, as volleyball is a notable exception. Both PVF and LOVB launched leagues with established markets primarily identified through fervent collegiate fanbases — consider Omaha, which is home to PVF and LOVB teams and is hosting AU Volleyball this fall.
The sponsor caveat: When teams’ hometowns are set, local sponsors can come in and push the needle, which we’ve seen in the NWSL and WNBA. But if teams don’t have roots, what sponsorships make sense? It mostly leaves room for national backers, each with its own reasoning to get in early. In the AUSL, for example, Sephora is stepping up its women’s sports profile, Rebel Girls is looking to access the youth audience, and MLB is treating AUSL as its softball arm.
The takeaway: National sponsors are great, and they can still work for a traveling league, but there might be a ceiling when it comes to having an impact as fandoms are still developing at this juncture. Exhibition matches effectively expose new people to the game, but these viewers may have trouble when it comes to choosing a team to cheer on.
- Still, it’s important to mention that avid women’s sports fans are fond of brands that partner with athletes regardless of team — they’re 27% more likely to buy from a company endorsing a popular woman athlete, with brand love especially strong in sports like soccer. So even if a league isn’t quite ready for the traditional fixed-city model, sponsors can benefit now by teaming up with athletes directly. A dynamic duo.
Together With The GIST
🚨 This merch isn’t next, it’s now — like, right now
Ready for a victory lap? Women in sports aren’t next, they’re now — and we’re marking how far we’ve come with a special “She’s Not Next, She’s Now” merch drop celebrating this unmatched moment.
- We teamed up with Bauer and designer Rookie Made to create a design that screams “The GIST.” Show your support for your favorite women-owned and -operated business, find other GISTers in the wild, and look cool AF while you’re doing it.
- This one-of-a-kind design was made just for you. It celebrates women athletes and fans of all stripes, because our community is truly unparalleled. But don’t wait to claim it — this is a limited-edition run, and our GISTers always show up big for merch drops.
Even better? Ten percent of every purchase goes to Black Girl Hockey Club, the nonprofit making hockey more inclusive. As if you needed another reason to add to cart.
👀 Paramount Skydance exploring Warner Bros. Discovery acquisition after recent merger
The newly-formed conglomerate — which Skydance paid $8B for — hasn’t wasted time in making bold moves, including its recent $7.7B multiyear UFC deal with Paramount. UFC may be the last major sports opportunity for a while, but not to worry: Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison is reportedly eyeing Warner Bros. Discovery, which is in the midst of its own restructuring.
- Why not wait until Warner Bros. and Discovery split? Bidding now gives Paramount Skydance an edge before divisions are carved up and sold, like attractive asset HBO Max. In addition to further narrowing the media ownership landscape, the deal would pad Paramount’s sports portfolio with MLB, NHL, Unrivaled, and the entire NCAA men’s March Madness tourney.
🏛️ Warner Bros. Discovery and Disney combat Sling TV’s short-term sports packages
Last week, Warner Bros. Discovery filed a federal lawsuit against Dish Network’s FAST platform, which also offers short-term sports packages available for streaming. Warner Bros. Discovery alleges this violates its licensing agreement, while Disney is arguing that Sling TV offered this plan without warning or consultation in its own lawsuit filed last month.
- Both media heavyweights are upset that these inexpensive, short-term packages circumvent the more expensive pay-per-view and month-to-month models embraced by the industry. While Sling TV’s concept is likely palatable to consumers, competitors may be frustrated they didn’t think of it first. You snooze, you lose.
📱 The LA28 organizing committee named T-Mobile for Business as its official telecommunications services provider. Are you with us?
🔍 Google celebrated the beginning of the WNBA playoffs with a homepage illustration leading users to the playoff schedule.
💎 Jewelry brand Gorjana partnered with Arizona State University for a first-of-its-kind collaboration that supports over 300 women student-athletes with team sponsorships and brand ambassadorships.
🧢 Sportscaster Erin Andrews’ sports apparel line Wear announced a multiyear agreement with the WNBA that begins with the launch of its first-ever full WNBA collection.
🗽 WNBA fans are protesting season ticket price increases after a 250% price jump, with the NY Liberty notably asking over $30K to renew for 2026. Yesterday’s price is not today’s price.
🃏 Professional Sports Authenticators has seen triple the number of women’s basketball cards graded since last year, and among 2025 WNBA playoff teams, Caitlin Clark, Sabrina Ionescu, and A’ja Wilson are the most-collected W athletes of all time.
🇸🇦 Whoopi Goldberg’s All Women Sport Network (AWSN) is launching a 24-hour women’s sports channel in Saudi Arabia.
💼 Just Women’s Sports hired former The Athletic and Bleacher Report veteran Bryan Graham as its executive director of content to expand its video and social storytelling operations.
🏀 The Fastest Six Weeks in Sports, a women’s NCAA basketball docuseries in the Next Is Now anthology, debuted on Roku and YouTube last week. And so it begins.
Peep our squad’s MVPs (Most Valuable Picks):
🛍️ Where to shop
KA Originals. Former WNBA player Kristine Anigwe launched her clothing brand to fill a need for clothes that fit her and her community's body types. Anigwe, who also styles WNBA players, says she uses fashion as an "armor" for her clients.
⚽ Who's partnered up
Haier x European Football. Haier, a global electronics company, has signed new partnerships with two of Europe's biggest soccer clubs: Liverpool FC and Paris Saint-Germain. The deal aims to connect technology and culture by highlighting sport as a universal language. Watch this space.
👑 Who to know
The new owners of the Indianapolis Colts. Jim Irsay’s daughters, Carlie Irsay-Gordon, Casey Foyt, and Kalen Jackson, have inherited an NFL team now worth $5.9 billion, making them among the richest female owners in sports.
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