The business of women’s sports is exploding across the board, including for merchandise, which women’s sports fans are 1.5x more likely to buy. Supporters are lining up to buy expanded merch options, which is presenting tricky logistical issues for manufacturers. Here are some current examples showing how supply doesn’t meet demand.

On Wednesday, international track and field governing body World Athletics announced it will award $50K to each event winner at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, becoming the first international governing body to do so. This will uplift athletics medalists who, until now, have been classified as amateurs and had to forfeit compensation opportunities.

March was a wild month for women’s sports, complete with a March Madness tournament that’s transforming women’s college basketball and an NWSL season kickoff garnering more media coverage than ever. To celebrate a Women’s History Month full of sporting wins, here are the latest Google trends in women’s sports.

Caitlin Clark is leading Iowa through March Madness as she broke another scoring record on her way to this weekend’s Sweet 16. As she draws GOAT comparisons, people are also recognizing her potential to transform the business of women’s basketball — WNBA CMO Phil Cook recently told SportsPro that she’s the next Tiger Woods.

Over the past few months, billionaire investor (and Brooklyn Beckham’s FIL) Nelson Peltz has been fighting to influence the future of Disney by joining its board. Peltz’s latest battle in the shareholder proxy war could have ramifications for leading sports media network and Disney cash cow ESPN, which has plans to go direct-to-consumer by next year.

Last Saturday, Angel City FC, the Los Angeles Public Library, and Wikipedians in the LA area hosted a one-day Wikipedia edit-a-thon in celebration of Women’s History Month. The at-capacity event allowed local residents to contribute their Angel City knowledge to the world’s largest, community-driven encyclopedia.

A recent SponsorUnited NIL report on the 2023-24 season details how women college athletes are taking over the NIL space as they see a higher percentage of deals per athlete and increased social engagement compared to men. Here are some of the most telling numbers that prove women athletes are ideal brand ambassadors.

On Monday, international media conglomerate Minute Media (MM) struck a multiyear licensing deal with Sports Illustrated (SI) owner Authentic Brands Group for digital and print rights over the next 10 years. While financial terms were not disclosed, Authentic Brands obtained equity stake in MM through the deal.

A new report by EDO — a marketing platform that measures the effectiveness of TV ads — offers metrics about 2023’s women’s sports viewership. It shares meaningful insight on ad engagement trends in sports like tennis and basketball, with data supporting the marketability case for rising stars like Coco Gauff and Caitlin Clark.

Canadian Tire (CTC) is leveraging its unparalleled brand power to become a changemaker in Canadian women’s sports sponsorship. CTC’s AVP of Community Impact & Sport Partnerships Ashley Curran recently spoke with The GIST about the company’s efforts to transform the women’s sports landscape in Canada through its Women’s Sport Initiative.

This week, UK marketing agency Redtorch released its SportOnSearch 2024 report, which analyzes fan engagement with sports properties via Google Trends data. The findings show interest in women’s sports across the board — in fact, all women’s sports properties recorded growth in 2023.

On Wednesday, Athletes Unlimited (AU) announced that all four of its month-long pro women’s sports leagues — basketball, softball, volleyball, and lacrosse — will broadcast games on ESPN platforms. The deal is a multiyear renewal of the entertainment network’s previous agreement with AU, which saw impressive viewership growth YoY.