Volleyball is bigger than ever, and FIVB wants to meet the moment. After bringing its 2027 tournament stateside, the international volleyball federation is officially teaming up with Horizon Sports & Experiences (HS&E) as the event’s exclusive sponsorship and media rights sales agency.

Wimbledon will be here in two weeks — and by here, we also mean here in North America. The All England Club which hosts the UK’s Grand Slam is transforming Central Park’s Wollman Rink into an authentic grass tennis court, bringing a bit of the event’s unique magic to help win over the NYC audience.

Many cities have multiple sports teams, but few gather fans together quite like Toronto’s Exhibition Place. The district houses BMO Field and Coca-Cola Coliseum, which is now home to NSL, PWHL, and WNBA teams — all of which have joined the fold within the past three years. In May, we spoke with Exhibition Place CEO Don Boyle about why he’s keen on bringing women’s sports teams to the area and the distinct value of women’s sports fans.

Dallas Wings star Azzi Fudd spoke with The GIST last week about her recent community court activation brought to life by Cash App. Last Tuesday, the payment app hosted a community basketball clinic and donated $35K to a local nonprofit that provides sports equipment and programming for young girls.

The men’s FIFA World Cup is right around the corner, and the U.S. is hosting the global soccer tournament (alongside Canada and Mexico) for the first time in 32 years. A lot has changed since then — for starters, the sport’s fanbase is more diverse than ever, especially in younger demographics. Let’s explore soccer’s changing audience and how this tourney is an unbeatable opportunity for brands to reach and engage diverse audiences.

The Women’s National Football Conference (WNFC) announced a multiyear agreement with ESPN yesterday to broadcast its June 21st championship game live on ESPN2. The league has seen recent growth, mostly thanks to increased media exposure and sponsorship, so we chatted with WNFC advisory board member, commentator, and former player Jennifer King to learn more.

The WNBA is busy celebrating its 30-year anniversary, and a bevy of brands are showing up for the party. Newcomers from all categories are hopping on the Legacy Trail, with WNBA business growth AVP Keri Lenker telling us in April she’d love to continue bringing “new brands into the fold.” Last week, we caught up with CarMax CMO Sarah Lane on why the brand’s WNBA partnership is so valuable, from the benefit of athlete ambassadors to the “squishy” data that indicates W fans notice and appreciate CarMax for being there.

Today, Raj Sports is announcing exclusively through The GIST that it’s bringing back Epicenter Week, a five-day summer celebration in Portland promoting its NWSL and WNBA franchises. But Epicenter Week is much more than that — and it’s bigger and better this year thanks to prominent sponsor and nearby neighbor Nike.