The Collective — the women’s sports research branch of talent agency giant Wasserman — published new insights yesterday on women sports fans globally. Its most recent findings indicate women are a growing demographic in sports fandoms, one that activates more keenly around brands — something The GIST knows very well. *winks*

Last Thursday, women’s track meet Athlos NYC took off at Icahn Stadium in Manhattan, and seemed to be everything founder Alexis Ohanian billed it to be. As we wait for official viewership and attendance numbers, immediate IRL impressions suggest Athlos could be the next major event on the Big Apple’s sports calendar between the US Open and the NYC Marathon.

In an exclusive conversation with The GIST yesterday, pro track competition Grand Slam Track’s (GST) director of athletes and racing Kyle Merber shared that the new league recently signed three Olympic medalists. As the Diamond League raises its prize money and Alexis Ohanian’s Athlos happens tomorrow, GST’s additions prove the sport is ripe for development — it just needs a little repackaging.

The numbers are finally in for NBCUniversal’s coverage of the 2024 Paralympics, and the athletes weren’t the only ones shattering records. After offering 1.5K hours of coverage this year, the network reached a record 15.4M total viewers, proving there’s an immense audience opportunity for the Games.

Following Monday’s story on how the “sport-curious” contingent among Gen Z consumers operates, sponsorship analysis platform SponsorPulse shared some of its own insightful data about how the Zoomer generation engages with sports and pop culture.

Prominent U.S. agency Horizon Media is digging into what drives consumers through a series of data-driven reports focused on major cultural trends. Its first one, “Sport-Curious,” dropped on Friday and confirmed what sports biz folks already know: Gen Z viewers aren’t tuning in to sports the same way as other generations, creating a real conundrum for the industry.

The Paralympics are in the spotlight like never before, with the increased exposure and investment resulting in serious global viewership. The U.S., Canada, the U.K., and France all reported historic numbers after expansive media commitments.

Today, Paris begins its hosting duties once again, this time for the 2024 Paralympic Games. While both the Olympics and Paralympics showcase athletes on the world’s greatest stage, only the Olympics have historically benefitted from comprehensive investment — something media partners like NBC, sponsors like Toyota, and Paralympians are hoping to change.

It’s official — Venu Sports won’t begin streaming anytime soon after a federal judge granted a preliminary injunction to squash the megalithic app (which was set to launch on August 23rd) on Friday.

U.S. Olympic media partner NBCUniversal and Canadian broadcaster CBC released their final numbers from the 2024 Paris Olympics, proving the post-pandemic slump is over. The sky-high numbers also position them to cash in when they broadcast the Summer Games’ return to North America during LA28.

One thing that seems to get better with time? NBCUniversal’s viewership numbers during the 2024 Paris Olympics. On Friday, NBCU shared metrics through the previous 14 days of programming, with the latest data proving that Team USA primetime victories are always a ratings winner.