No wrong choices
From The GIST Sports Biz (hi@thegistsports.com)
Happy Monday!
It’s March, meaning there’s spring in the air and madness on the court as the NCAA basketball’s postseason is in full swing. There was a bit of a frenzy when two of college’s biggest NIL stars in recent years — USC basketball star JuJu Watkins and former LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels — sat together after the Trojans’ win over UNC Greensboro on Saturday.
- Though fans have speculated over the connection between the two stars, Daniels and Watkins are reportedly first cousins who happen to be running point in their respective sports, including with their extensive Nike deals. Game recognizes game.
WNBA
🏀 A marketing lay-up
The GIST: During its record-breaking 2024 season, the WNBA saw a massive viewership jump across networks — especially when Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark graced the screen. And based on its 2025 regular-season schedule unveiled last week, the W is doubling down on 2024’s wins with increased broadcast exposure, giving an easy assist to its partners. Playing to their strengths.
The details: Disney networks will air 26 games, including a record 13 on ABC and up to 29 postseason matchups on ESPN. CBS will air the first regular-season primetime games on June 7th and August 9th, while ION nabbed the most regular-season games at 50.
- These networks all saw vast YoY viewership growth in 2024: ESPN boasted the most-watched regular-season game and averaged 1.2M viewers across 24 games (up 170% YoY), CBS averaged a viewership of 1.37M (up 132% YoY), and ION reached 23.37M total viewers (up from 12.3M in 2023).
The breakdown: After landing an incredible 38 of 44 games on national television last year, demand for the Fever is already burning for the upcoming season. Clark’s squad will play in no fewer than 41 nationally broadcast games (the most of any WNBA or NBA team), followed by the Las Vegas Aces (33 games) and defending champion NY Liberty (32 games).
The 2024 wins: With more eyes on the W, the league is seeing more brands interested in having a presence in the women’s game. Last year, the W saw 19% growth in sponsorship deals with 43% deal growth for the Fever specifically. Clark helped drive this growth by increasing value for partners like Gainbridge via platforms like Instagram.
The opportunities: After last season, expanding viewership opportunities means easy money for the W, especially when Clark is in the national spotlight. And with even more attention on Indiana, it’s smart for both local and national brands to consider the Fever, a team that has “America’s Team” branding potential.
- But it’s not just the Fever — proven champs like the Aces and Liberty top the list for WNBA valuations thanks to their own brand deals with companies like Ally and NYX Cosmetics. And though Clark is certainly a star, brands also teamed up with fellow rooks Angel Reese and Cameron Brink. No wrong choices…
Together With The GIST
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El and Steph dive into current sports topics and how they intersect with society and pop culture. They cover everything from season previews to calling out the sexist BS that’s rampant across the industry.
Join the conversation by subscribing to The GIST of It wherever you tune into podcasts. Happy listening.
💸 Media rights experts insist Women’s March Madness remains undervalued
There’s more ad demand for women’s March Madness than ever before, with Disney seeing a 200% YoY rise in ad sales. All of this comes after the media giant managed to extend its rights deal for the tournament at a $65M average annual value, which is why experts believe money was left on the table.
- Media rights experts recently told Front Office Sports the NCAA could have negotiated for more, with the tournament likely worth somewhere between $81M and $112M per year. That number will only rise as ad sales and demand continue to climb until the media rights agreement ends in 2032. Keep on moving.
🎾 Issues in tennis persist as Grand Slams turn down pay, schedule changes
On Friday, the International Tennis Federation (ITF) — which oversees tennis’ four Grand Slams — rejected a proposal from the WTA and ATP tours that included schedule and pay changes for pro tennis. This follows a lawsuit filed by the Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA) against the sports’ governing bodies last week.
- The 163-page lawsuit critiques the lengthy schedule for pro tennis players and restricted salaries, with no revenue sharing model. More importantly, the PTPA’s lawsuits insist that there’s been collusion among the sport’s top organizations to limit increases in prize money at events.
🎨 A new exhibition at London’s Saatchi Gallery celebrates Chelsea FC’s 120th birthday and dedicates a substantial portion to honoring its dominant women’s team.
🍺 The number of women’s sports–focused bars in the U.S. is expected to quadruple from six to more than 24 this year. Grab a seat while you can.
🇺🇸 Washington Spirit owner Michele Kang said keeping Spirit striker Trinity Rodman in the NWSL is “important” after fellow USWNT star Naomi Girma recently left for the WSL.
⚕️ The Spirit also extended its multiyear partnership with CVS Health last week.
🏎️ More Than Equal — an organization dedicated to closing F1’s gender gap — became the official driver performance and research partner of F1 Academy to help build a strong pipeline for women drivers. Right on track.
Together With The Hustle
☀️ Looking for your next morning must-read? It’s The Hustle, the daily email that delivers fast and informative business and tech stories that are off the beaten path, like a deep dive on the man who founded the Rainforest Cafe and the lore behind the George Foreman grill.
- Intrigued? Of course you are. See why 1.5M readers trust The Hustle for their new favorite fun facts and subscribe today.
Recs from our roster!
🎾 What to wear
Coco Delray. New Balance and Coco Gauff are making tennis more accessible with the new “Delray” collection. Sporty, stylish, and built for the next generation.
🎤 What to call it
A comeback. Twenty-two years after struggling as a 13-year-old, Natalie Gilbert returned to sing the national anthem at a Portland Trail Blazers game —this time, with no stumbles.
🏎️ Who to know
Laura Mueller, F1’s first female race engineer. She’ll be the voice in Haas driver Esteban Ocon’s ear all season long.
Today's email was brought to you by Aryanna Prasad and Briana Ekanem. Fact checking by Bonnie Lee. Editing by Dee Lab. Operations by Elisha Gunaratnam and Marga Sison. Ads by Katie Kehoe Foster, Alessandra Puccio, and Lisa Minutillo. Managing edits by Molly Potter and Ellen Hyslop. Head of content Ellen Hyslop.