Sending love to Minnesota
From The GIST Sports Biz (hi@thegistsports.com)
Leveling The Playing Field
Sending love to Minnesota
This weekend, Minneapolis had a second fatal shooting this month at the hands of ICE agents, resulting in the tragic death of 37-year-old ICU nurse Alex Pretti. Many in the women’s sports world have expressed solidarity with the grieving community.
- The PWHL’s Minnesota Frost held a moment of silence for Pretti ahead of its Sunday game, while the WNBA’s Minnesota Lynx signed a letter calling for deescalation.
- Two-time WNBA MVP and Unrivaled co-founder Breanna Stewart held an “Abolish ICE” sign during Unrivaled player introductions on Sunday, explaining that her message “means having policies to uplift families and communities instead of fueling fear and violence.”
Women’s soccer
⚽ Tournament favorites
The GIST: This week, the inaugural FIFA Women's Champions Cup — the sport’s first-ever intercontinental club competition for women — is fielding its final rounds in London, England. The months-long tournament hasn’t exactly received mainstream media coverage, but that may change thanks to Kynsica’s new title sponsorship.
- A perfect brand extension for Michele Kang’s global women’s soccer organization, the deal could signal a turning point for the tournament’s exposure. We’ve seen NWSL and WSL title sponsors make a major impact in generating increased media coverage for women’s soccer properties, which boosts ROI even higher. Reaching their (fiscal) goals.
The tournament: Despite the rising popularity of a similar tournament in the UEFA’s Women’s Champions League (UWCL), the new tourney isn’t generating the hype FIFA hoped for. After its October kickoff, it took FIFA until January 15th to sell tournament TV rights, when it secured a multinational deal with DAZN offering free streaming access for the final stage.
- Kynisca is promoting its new partnership through branding and storytelling across the tourney’s final stages, hoping to “amplify the visibility of the competition and its athletes” and grow the women’s game at large, something it’s done via previous investment.
The precedent: Brands have seen measurable success through tournament partnerships, such as UWCL partner Heineken, but league partners have further illustrated their far-reaching power. Prominent sponsors Ally and Barclays boosted the NWSL and WSL’s visibility, respectively, setting the stage for rising attendance, record media rights deals, and increased brand interest.
- Ally became one of the NWSL’s biggest sponsors in 2021, later expanding its investment to the NWSLPA. More directly, Ally helped get the 2022 NWSL Championship a primetime slot and pushed Disney to air more women’s sports coverage. Thanks to increased exposure and media coverage, the NWSL soon inked a landmark media rights deal.
- In the UK, Barclays came in as the title sponsor for the WSL and its corresponding second-tier league in 2019, paying double what it paid to renew in 2024. Barclays is investing an estimated $20.5M annually, including in marketing, because of the ROI they’ve experienced over the lifetime of the deal.
Zooming out: Endorsement from a committed sponsor like Kynisca could make all the difference for the new tournament, which has the potential to attract a global audience. Brands do have the power to make a difference — and as Barclays and Ally have illustrated, there’s a long-term ROI play as women’s soccer grows, not to mention the opportunity to get in on the ground floor.
- Plus, women’s soccer fans are uniquely brand aware and loyal — something to keep in mind with this new women’s soccer property brands can activate around. Kick it.
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💸 Trinity Rodman becomes world’s highest paid women’s soccer player in historic NWSL deal
After spending months fighting to keep her, the Washington Spirit finalized a deal with the star forward this past week. Following the NWSL’s recent ratification of the “Rodman rule,” her pay is expected to surpass $2M annually including bonuses, breaking the sport’s record.
- Rodman's sponsor, Adidas, capitalized on the moment with a photoshoot celebrating her re-signing, pitching it as reaffirming “her commitment to women’s soccer in the U.S.” The Spirit are also seizing the marketing moment around keeping one of the NWSL’s most popular players after the team broke its single-season home attendance record last year.
🛹 X Games League reveal four team locations for its new format
The action sports competition, which is pivoting from its traditional tournament model to a league format, revealed the first four teams for its upcoming inaugural summer season. The league will host teams in traditional hotspots for the Games: London, New York, São Paolo, and Tokyo.
- The entity also revealed a multiyear title sponsorship agreement with crypto payments company MoonPay, a “mid-eight figures” deal that marks the highest in the history of action sports. To the moon.
💰 University of Texas (UT) spends most across NCAA programs amid women’s basketball, volleyball wins
According to Sportico, UT’s athletic department spent $375.9M in operating expenses for fiscal year 2025, $50M higher than its previous record-setting year. While nearly $74M was allocated to football and $22.4M to men’s basketball, the school spent $11M on women’s basketball, which went to the Final Four last season.
- Additionally, UT has a renowned women’s volleyball program that ranked No. 2 this past season and advanced to the quarter-finals of the women’s volleyball championship. Hook ‘em.
📱 TikTok parent company ByteDance officially formed TikTok U.S., a joint venture with majority ownership from U.S. inventors, thereby allowing the app to continue operating domestically.
🏈 The NFL is focusing on fashion — especially among its women fans and influencers — with a pre–Super Bowl fashion show hosted by Abercrombie & Fitch. Strike a pose.
🎿 Visa aired its new Milano Cortina 2026 campaign featuring Olympic skier Mikaela Shiffrin and multisport Paralympic champion Oksana Masters.
🏀 WNBA and Unrivaled star Paige Bueckers is matching donations for the #HopkinsStrong Relief Fund, which provides financial support for families in need across her hometown’s public school system.
🇨🇦 The Canadian Olympic Committee is pledging $500M CAD in private investment for Team Canada over the next 10 years.
🏒 The NHL is continuing to capitalize on the popularity (largely driven by women) of queer hockey drama Heated Rivalry, with the Boston Bruins being the latest to jump on the trend. Obsessed.
📺 What to watch
The Rise, Hello Sunshine’s doc series on women’s sports. Five films capturing the momentum, the money, and the movement—streaming on Peacock.
🏀 Who to know
The 30 Under 30 Sports Game Changers. The list includes athletes and executives—like NIL star NiJaree Canady and AI tech founder Akshat Prakash—shaping the future of sports.
🎧 Who to listen to
CoCo Jones. The Grammy winner is set to sing the Black National Anthem, “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” before Super Bowl LX kicks off.
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