Sports Business | The GIST

NWSL shares midseason growth metrics driven by increased attendance and access

On Friday, the NWSL shared midseason KPIs and milestones that illustrate explosive, multidimensional growth. The league saw gains across every major metric — a positive sign in the lead up to the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

July 07, 2026

WTA releases new content series spotlighting athletes’ global connections to food and culture

🎾

The WTA is embracing storytelling opportunities around its global (and highly-marketable) athletes. In May, the women’s tennis league debuted Style Unpacked, a docuseries that paired WTA athletes with world-class stylists. Last week, the WTA recalibrated that formula with WTA Tour Bites, an original series that tells personal stories through the lens of food.

June 30, 2026

The NWSL is getting in on soccer’s North American surge

⚽

It’s a rare and special moment when soccer is the mainstream sport in North America, one American soccer (specifically, the NWSL) wants to sustain after the crowds head home. In May, the women’s soccer league announced its Summer of Soccer initiative to capitalize on WC fervor. In June, we spoke to NWSL CMO Rachel Epstein about why the league has “locked arms” with FIFA and how the tourney can be an entry point for sustained footy fandom.

June 27, 2026

Teeing off on the lucrative growth of women’s golf

⛳

The prize pool for this weekend’s KPMG Women’s PGA Championship is an astounding $13M, the largest purse in women’s golf history. As the players, ahem, swing into action this morning, let’s tee off on the lucrative growth of the women's game.

June 25, 2026

PWHL welcomes outside investment for first time in league history

🏒

In big PHWL news, the women’s hockey league under a single-entity ownership structure opened itself to outside investment for the first time yesterday. The PWHL — founded and owned by Mark and Kimbra Walter — welcomed Kilmer Sports Ventures and Ilitch Companies into the league as strategic investors with a commitment of over $100M.

June 23, 2026

The Realest teams up with the WPBL for a series dedicated to women’s baseball

⚾

There’s nothing more American than baseball (cards), right? That’s the idea behind sports authentication platform The Realest’s new partnership with the Women’s Pro Baseball League (WPBL). Together, they will launch and develop the first officially licensed trading card program for an active pro women’s baseball league in the U.S..

June 18, 2026

Genius Sports shares new insights into women’s sports fans and sports culture

Today, sports data leader Genius Sports (which acquired Sports Innovation Lab in 2025) published the fifth edition of The Fan Project, Sports Innovation Lab’s long-running report series that examines the economic value of women’s sports fandom. The latest release, “Turning Culture Into Commerce,” shows how the culture of women’s sports is shaped by athlete entrepreneurs.

June 18, 2026

FIVB taps Horizon Sports & Experiences to handle sponsorship and media rights for its 2027 tournament

Sports Business

FIVB taps Horizon Sports & Experiences to handle sponsorship and media rights for its 2027 tournament

🏐

June 16, 2026

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.

Read Full Story

The GIST of It Podcast

Ep #568

Getting emosh about CanMNT's World Cup run, plus Mal Swanson’s advice for the USMNT

June 30, 2026

Listen on Apple Music Listen on Spotify

Getting emosh about CanMNT's World Cup run, plus Mal Swanson’s advice for the USMNT

CanMNT won their first-ever World Cup knockout game on Sunday, so Canadian co-hosts Ellen Hyslop and Steph Rotz are in their feels. Today, they break down the historic win, look to what’s next, and place this game in the greater conversation about the growth of soccer in Canada. And because we’re equal opportunity here at The GIST, we have an interview with USWNT star Mal Swanson on the men’s national team’s chances right after that. Enjoy.