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Fanfare around Team USA women’s hockey win illustrates how far game has grown thanks to PWHL

Fanfare around Team USA women’s hockey win illustrates how far game has grown thanks to PWHL

Sports Business

Fanfare around Team USA women’s hockey win illustrates how far game has grown thanks to PWHL

We’ve seen Olympic popularity spark the growth of year-round leagues, from track & field to fencing. However, the best example may be women’s hockey: As recently as 2022, there was ongoing debate about whether women’s hockey belonged at the Olympics, but the PWHL is helping rewrite the narrative.

February 24, 2026

Women’s college volleyball gets the college basketball treatment with first-of-its-kind Paradise Invitational

Women’s college volleyball gets the college basketball treatment with first-of-its-kind Paradise Invitational

Women’s college volleyball gets the college basketball treatment with first-of-its-kind Paradise Invitational

Yesterday, GS Sports — a sports event company that primarily hosts elite youth basketball competitions — announced its first foray into college sports with the Paradise Invitational. This will be a first-of-its-kind NCAA women’s volleyball showcase featuring four top teams facing off in the Bahamas.

February 24, 2026

Everyone is playing (and paying) women’s flag football

Everyone is playing (and paying) women’s flag football

Everyone is playing (and paying) women’s flag football

While there’s still higher male participation in the U.S., flag football is rapidly flourishing among women and girls. During the 2023–2024 season, nearly 43K girls played in high school (105% increase YoY), while other data suggests about 500K girls aged 6 to 17 years old participated at some level in 2023.

February 21, 2026

Olympic, Paralympic brands dazzle in front of record global audience at Milano Cortina 2026

Olympic, Paralympic brands dazzle in front of record global audience at Milano Cortina 2026

Olympic, Paralympic brands dazzle in front of record global audience at Milano Cortina 2026

Americans dig the Winter Olympics. Last week, the first five days of the Winter Olympics wrapped with 26.5M viewers across NBC platforms, a 93% increase over a comparable period at Beijing 2022. This has been followed with record-breaking global audiences fueled by digital and social growth: Social engagement has doubled since Beijing 2022, with Olympic digital platforms surpassing 100M users.

February 19, 2026

Parity SVP Alana Casner explains why brands adore athlete moms

Parity SVP Alana Casner explains why brands adore athlete moms

Parity SVP Alana Casner explains why brands adore athlete moms

Let’s be clear: Advertisers do portray mothers across advertising, more so than women without children. But the standard portrayal features mothers as caretakers engrossed in domestic tasks and has changed little since the 1950s.

February 14, 2026

Athletes, celebrities, and executives illustrate brand opportunity at Winter Olympics

The Winter Olympics are underway and seem to be trekking in the footsteps of Paris 2024, a.k.a. the “Social Media Olympics.” Once again, we’re seeing trends play out in real time as athletes and celebrity fans play an increased role in driving brand engagement. We’re breaking down the top headlines out of Milano Cortina this week.

February 12, 2026

AI prominence in Super Bowl ads ignites conversation about its role in women’s sports

AI prominence in Super Bowl ads ignites conversation about its role in women’s sports

AI prominence in Super Bowl ads ignites conversation about its role in women’s sports

Super Bowl (SB) ads are often a pulse check on trends in the year to come, at least from an advertising perspective — after all, these are the companies betting big on reaching the most Americans possible in a single spot. And this year, many SB ads featured AI companies and some were even created by AI, although a majority of SB viewers didn’t like them.

February 10, 2026

Brands at the Super Bowl are considering women’s sports, women fans more than ever

Brands at the Super Bowl are considering women’s sports, women fans more than ever

Sports Business

Brands at the Super Bowl are considering women’s sports, women fans more than ever

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February 07, 2026

Women make their way to Radio Row

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The GIST of It Podcast

Mikaela Shiffrin's unmatched mental strength

February 19, 2026

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Mikaela Shiffrin's unmatched mental strength

Mikaela Shiffrin's unmatched mental strength

Celebrate good times, c’mon!

On today’s pod, co-hosts Lauren Tuiskula and Alessandra Puccio honor a true Olympic icon: Mikaela Shiffrin, the most decorated Alpine skier of all-time and now a three-time Olympic gold medalist after winning yesterday’s slalom. Every Olympian’s journey is unique and Shiffrin’s return to the podium is no exception. Today, we’re going back to the beginning: from her Olympic debut at the 2014 Sochi games to the eight-year medal drought to her 2026 triumph, Shiffrin’s story is not only compelling, but important to share, particularly as it pertains to Olympian mental health.

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Parity survey shows higher fan engagement around women athletes ahead of the Winter Olympics

Parity survey shows higher fan engagement around women athletes ahead of the Winter Olympics

Parity survey shows higher fan engagement around women athletes ahead of the Winter Olympics

On Monday, women athlete partnership platform Parity shared results from a survey of almost 12K adults across the U.S., Canada, the UK, Ireland, and Australia on how sports fans perceive gender equity in the upcoming Winter Olympics.

February 05, 2026

Rebel Girls doubles down on sports partnership in new AU Pro Basketball deal

Rebel Girls doubles down on sports partnership in new AU Pro Basketball deal

Rebel Girls doubles down on sports partnership in new AU Pro Basketball deal

In an exclusive with The GIST today, Gen Alpha girls empowerment brand Rebel Girls (RG) is announcing a new media partnership with Athletes Unlimited’s basketball arm, AU Pro Basketball (AUBB). While basketball has been a priority for RG, evidenced by activations with A’ja Wilson and Sabrina Ionescu, this is the brand’s first foray into hoops at the organizational level.

February 03, 2026

How Naomi Osaka’s legacy off the court rivals her accomplishments on it

How Naomi Osaka’s legacy off the court rivals her accomplishments on it

How Naomi Osaka’s legacy off the court rivals her accomplishments on it

The intrigue surrounding Naomi Osaka goes far beyond tennis. Born to a Japanese mom and Haitian-American dad, Osaka trained diligently to become one of American tennis’ top stars.

January 31, 2026

New WNBA franchises embrace winning marketing tactics as they build local hype

New WNBA franchises embrace winning marketing tactics as they build local hype

New WNBA franchises embrace winning marketing tactics as they build local hype

Though the WNBA’s 2026 season schedule remains up in the air due to ongoing CBA negotiations, forthcoming W franchises are rolling ahead with preseason marketing campaigns.

January 29, 2026

Kynisca becomes FIFA Women's Champions Cup title partner

Kynisca becomes FIFA Women's Champions Cup title partner

Kynisca becomes FIFA Women's Champions Cup title partner

This week, the inaugural FIFA Women's Champions Cup — the sport’s first-ever intercontinental club competition for women — is fielding its final rounds in London, England. The months-long tournament hasn’t exactly received mainstream media coverage, but that may change thanks to Kynsica’s new title sponsorship.

January 27, 2026

The brands backing a 24-year-old’s push for the Olympics

The brands backing a 24-year-old’s push for the Olympics

The brands backing a 24-year-old’s push for the Olympics

Annika Malacinski has the kind of Olympic story media outlets and marketers dream of. The 24-year-old daughter of a ski instructor grew up in Steamboat Springs, Colorado — one of the only areas in the U.S. with the infrastructure to facilitate Nordic combined, a marriage between cross-country skiing and ski jumping.

January 24, 2026

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