Sundial Media and Technology Group (SMTG) — the media and live events company behind Essence, Afropunk, and Refinery29 — finalized a unique partnership with Grand Slam Track (GST), a new track and field competition that kicked off this year. SMTG will facilitate media coverage of GST in addition to improving track day experiences for fans.

As interest in women’s sports grows, so does the enthusiasm for content surrounding the women’s game. After seeing Netflix benefit from cult faves Drive to Survive and Full Swing, documentaries that converted new fans to F1 and golf, fellow streamers are considering how to leverage storytelling to win over young, more casual sports fans.

On Friday, Scripps-owned network Ion Television renewed its media rights agreement with the WNBA nearly a year after the league inked a joint multinetwork package alongside the NBA. Despite the WNBA’s attainment of expensive, major network deals, there’s still considerable value in what Ion uniquely brings to the table: A distinct audience and capacity for appointment viewing.

Unlike the limit, the perfect women’s sports brand marketing strategy does exist — at least according to Parity, who released its latest research report yesterday about the business of women’s sports.

On Wednesday, the WTA announced it will protect the rankings of players who take time away to pursue fertility treatments like egg or embryo freezing. It’s the latest move from a pro sports organization to formally accommodate athletes’ family planning, demonstrating new ways to compassionately address the unique challenges women athletes face.

You already know that women’s basketball is booming — according to a recent report from Global Sports Properties, the WNBA saw a 322% increase in global online searches last year. However, the sport’s impact extends beyond the pro court: The male-dominated spaces long associated with hoops are becoming more women-forward…and it’s about time.

According to Forbes, WNBA teams are valued at a league-high average of $272M, a monstrous 183% increase from the estimated average valuation in 2024. It’s all about supply and demand (and a little dash of optimism).

Just like the PWHL’s inaugural season, the league’s sophomore campaign was chock-full of successes — on and off the ice. Let’s take a closer look at the numbers.

Last Friday, the $2.8B lawsuit settlement that will remake the business of college sports, House v. NCAA, was officially approved. This will usher in a new era where athletic departments can share up to about $20.5M of revenue per year directly with student-athletes via name, image, and likeness (NIL) deals.

This week, data insights platform SponsorUnited (SU) shared new intel with The GIST about revenue generation in the WNBA and NWSL. After comparing revenue and existing deals, the findings illustrate the leagues’ immense YoY growth while still underlining the remaining gap when compared to men’s sports.

Yesterday, Portland-based women’s sports bar The Sports Bra named the first four cities for its forthcoming expansion. Since opening in 2022, The Sports Bra has spurred a movement of independent women’s sports bars popping up across the U.S. and is now looking to become a multi-city franchise of its own.

Last week, Disney+ acquired the European rights for the Women’s Champions League through a five-year deal. The news is indicative of a wider trend of streaming interest in women’s sports, which offers both pros and cons for the women’s sports space.