Ready for takeoff
From The GIST (hi@thegistsports.com)
Leveling The Playing Field
Happy Friday, Jr.!
Have a side hustle that could turn into something big? Take inspiration from USA Hockey and PWHL star Aerin Frankel, whose Instagram account devoted to ranking Caesar salads has become a bonafide business opportunity worthy of a Wall Street Journal feature. Don’t let your dreams be dreams.
Media deals
📺 Hitting rock bottom
The GIST: Things have gone from bad to worse for Victory+ after its parent company announced the dissolution of the Dallas-based streaming service yesterday. Surprisingly, the WNBA’s Minnesota Lynx and Atlanta Dream kept their contracts until the end despite previous partners like the NWSL terminating its agreement earlier this summer.
- So why stay on the sinking ship so long and what does this mean for an already-complicated media rights landscape? Let’s get into it.
The context: Victory+ launched in 2024 as a free, local streaming service that relied solely on ad deals. Founded in part by the NHL’s Dallas Stars, it inked deals with teams and leagues from coast to coast with a business model that prioritized accessibility for fans who didn’t have cable. It seemed great…on paper.
- Things started unraveling in July after the MLB’s Texas Rangers and NHL’s Anaheim Ducks ended their contracts within a day of each other citing missed payments, and the NWSL following quickly on their heels. In response, Victory+ fired its CEO, but still thought it was in a good enough place to deliver on its remaining contracts.
The WNBA deals: Where the previous deals relied on guaranteed payments, the WNBA teams opted for revenue sharing, meaning no breach of contract when cash flow was light. Victory+ successfully streamed the majority of the Lynx’s games, perfect for the league’s younger, digital-first fanbase. There’s just two games left that were slated for the streamer and with the international break, both W squads have time to find a broadcast partner.
- Speaking of partners, Amazon Prime keeps showing up at the right time, absorbing several of these broken contracts and transitioning into a sports programming cornerstone, especially after integrating WNBA League Pass into its ecosystem.
Zooming out: Teams desperately want local streaming partners, but young companies like Victory+ don’t have deep enough pockets to support today’s lucrative media deals. Enter Amazon — according to Sportico, it now has localized deals for 34 teams across all the leagues mentioned above and the NBA. Bad news for the little guys.
💸 Deloitte partners with Billie Jean King
The multinational corporation is once again investing in the women’s sports space — and doing so alongside one of the industry’s most beloved icons. The partnership hinges on building better infrastructure for women in sport, like providing leadership development pipelines and prioritizing high-performance research on women athletes.
- What does this look like in practice? TBD, although Deloitte said that a set of initiatives ranging from coaching development to youth leadership programming will be rolled out over the next year. Anything with BJK’s name on it has our attention.
🏀 Chicago Sky star Skylar Diggins slams team facilities
As other women’s sports cities reveal state-of-the-art facilities (hi, Portland), the seven-time All-Star didn’t mince words when condemning the ongoing delays the Sky is facing. Diggins — who hasn’t played since July 3rd with a knee injury — doesn’t think it’s a coincidence that the Sky is leading the league in injuries.
- Facility standards were notably an explicit part of the WNBA’s groundbreaking CBA signed in May. Yes, the Sky are working towards providing that updated facility, but Diggins’ frustration, which includes hours restrictions on space use, is more than warranted.
👀 The Athletic, Kalshi deal kiboshed
A potential sponsorship agreement between The New York Times’ sports arm and the prediction market platform reportedly isn’t going through after all. The news comes after the NewsGuild of New York (the union that reps Times staffers) sent a letter to owner A.G. Sulzberger and other reps yesterday, detailing that they were “deeply concerned” by the impending deal.
- The decision reportedly had nothing to do with the union’s letter (and exploratory talks continue regarding ad opportunities), but as far as we’re concerned, this is a win for the workers. Huzzah.
🎾 WTA world No. 13 Naomi Osaka makes Arthur Ashe her runway…again
It’s no secret that Osaka is that girl: Ahead of her first-round matchup on Monday, she donned a custom Who Decides War hooded robe, arm sleeve, and cornrows — a tribute to Philadelphia 76ers legend Allen Iverson. Why Iverson? A basketball homage: Osaka’s a Nike athlete, and the sports giant celebrated its hoops roots with this year’s Tennis Slam collection.
🚩 American amateur sports participation is at an all-time high, especially with more kids and adults playing padel and flag football.
⚽ CBS Sports released its studio lineup for Barclays Women’s Super League broadcasts — and it includes some majorly popular names in women’s soccer, like retired USWNT stars Kelley O’Hara, Ali Riley, and Crystal Dunn. So seated.
🏛️ Two ex-employees sued the NBA’s Golden State Warriors for workplace discrimination, harassment, and retaliation.
🏐 LOVB announced CVS Pharmacy as the league’s official health and wellness partner, a multiyear deal that includes a jersey patch sponsorship.
✈️ Another of MLV’s four forthcoming expansion teams announced its branding: The DC Flight will join the recently named Minnesota Forge. Ready for takeoff.
🏈 Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen launched a new media company, Out of Pocket Studios, and tapped sports media industry vet Lindsey Cohen to run day-to-day operations.
🏌️ New women’s golf league WTGL will broadcast on ESPN and Ion when the league starts play in November. Time to par-tee.
🤳 The NFL renewed its deal with TiKTok to reinvest in growing the league’s Gen Z fanbase by creating NFL content hubs on the platform and facilitating ad placements.
📷 Sports Business Journal featured Indianapolis Colts owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon as the cover story for its weekly magazine edition about the NFL season start, highlighting how her unique leadership will impact the team and league in the future.
Today's email was brought to you by Rachel Fuenzalida, Lisa Minutillo, and Katie Foster. Fact checking by Bonnie Lee. Operations by Elisha Gunaratnam. Ads by Ali Haberstroh. Managing edits by Molly Potter and Katie Foster. Head of content Ellen Hyslop.