Sports Business | The GIST

Beauty brands have a unique opportunity to reach global audiences through soccer

Last week, The Athletic’s Asli Pelit dove into the beauty industry’s data-driven insights that make the case for advertising in soccer. One thing that stood out? How Brazilian legend Marta drove Avon makeup sales by wearing a signature red shade during the 2019 Women’s World Cup (WWC).

August 18, 2025

Ally marketing head Stephanie Marciano discusses brand’s WNBA, NWSL partnerships in rivalry series

This weekend, the WNBA and NWSL kicked off their respective slates of rivalry games, both presented by prominent women’s sports partner Ally. The WNBA is planning seven rivalry matchups through August 17th, while the NWSL hosted three key matchups during its inaugural Rivalry Weekend.

August 11, 2025

Jewelry brand Gorjana leans into sports and culture crossover with extensive roster of athlete ambassadors

SoCal jewelry brand Gorjana launched Gorjana Sports Club today, a unique platform spotlighting prominent pro and collegiate women athletes who have curated edits for the brand. As fashion and beauty retailers engage with women’s sports, Gorjana’s platform recognizes the power women’s sports stars have as cultural influencers.

August 04, 2025

Increase in women’s sports podcasts illustrates latest trends in the audio space

The podcast space is finally listening to women’s sports fans — something we’ve been doing since 2020. Everyone from sports media companies to standalone podcasts are getting into the women’s game, so we’re covering some trends in the space and what they mean for the future.

July 23, 2025

Athlos plans on debuting long jump event in unique Times Square venue

Athlos — the women’s track meet launched last year — is returning this fall with a clever plan to win over fans. Yesterday, the organization confirmed it will host a portion of its competition in the heart of Times Square. This is reminiscent of recent PLL and WLL strategy, illustrating how niche sports and upstart leagues are using unconventional gimmicks to hook viewers.

July 18, 2025

AdWeek shares TrackSuit insights on Gen Z brand consideration in 2025

On Wednesday, AdWeek published purchase consideration insights from brand tracking platform Tracksuit. The data highlights the biggest shifts in purchase consideration among popular Gen Z brands from January to June, proving that authenticity and wellness work best to win over young fans. Here are the key takeaways and the ways they’re being implemented across women’s sports.

July 11, 2025

SponsorUnited reveals June’s most popular brands based on marketing campaign buzz

Last week, sports sponsorship data insights platform SponsorUnited revealed the 30 most-searched sponsors on its platform for June. The platform’s search data indicated which brands were most buzzworthy last month, with each employing different marketing strategies to make waves with sports fans.

July 07, 2025

Sports Business

3XBA collabs with Rough & Tumble as sports leagues explore women’s sports bar partnerships

June 30, 2025

Last week, 3XBA — a professional touring FIBA 3x3 women’s basketball league — announced a unique partnership with Seattle’s Rough & Tumble Pub, the second-ever women’s sports bar. Through their new agreement, the two entities will promote one another through activations at live events.

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The GIST of It Podcast

Ep #487

It’s messy: Breaking down the messy potential Connecticut Sun sale

August 21, 2025

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It’s messy: Breaking down the messy potential Connecticut Sun sale

Money, money, money.

Always funny in a rich man’s world — like the WNBA, where the Connecticut Sun’s potential sale is causing some serious drama. On today’s episode of The GIST of It, co-hosts Ellen Hyslop and Steph Rotz break down a new report from ESPN that details the behind-the-scenes moves as the league’s smallest market tries to find a new home. From potential buyers in new cities to the W’s plan to move the team whenever they like, it’s messy, messy, messy. Buckle up.