Do the math
From The GIST Sports Biz (hi@thegistsports.com)
Hi there!
American tennis star and WTA world No. 3 Coco Gauff is an early favorite to win the Australian Open, and she gained even more favor with fans following a heartfelt message to the LA community. Following her victory over Sofia Kenin on Sunday, Gauff shared a message with audiences at home: “Stay strong, LA. Thank you firefighters!” You go, Glen Coco.
PWHL
🏒 Testing, testing
The GIST: As discussed on yesterday’s episode of The GIST of It, the PWHL’s nine-city Takeover Tour is only three stops in, but there’s already plenty of discussion on where the league will establish its first two expansion franchises later this year.
- But beyond the two lucky cities that will nab PWHL franchises, there are many winners in the process of market testing women’s sports franchises with neutral-site games — just ask the WNBA’s Toronto Tempo. Ballin’.
The tour: Building on 2024’s Takeover Weekend, the Takeover Tour is illuminating potential markets across North America. Seattle’s attendance of 12.6K last week was a season high, which was quickly topped by 19K fans in Vancouver, Canada — beating any Vancouver Canucks crowd this season. Then in Denver, 14K fans broke the pro women’s hockey attendance record in the U.S.
- Plus, Edmonton has sold out tickets for its upcoming game, while Québec City — an early favorite to land an expansion team — is already nearing a sellout with about 18K tickets sold for its Centre Vidéotron venue. Magnifique.
The precedent: The PWHL’s market testing mimics the WNBA’s recent forays into Canada. Before adding its 14th franchise in Toronto last year, the WNBA played preseason matchups in Toronto and Edmonton. Data from 2023’s WNBA game in Toronto illustrated the importance of market testing in sports: WNBA fandom doubled among Canadian sports fans following the game.
- Canadian companies took advantage of the WNBA opportunities, with at least 15 sponsors stepping up for the 2023 game. Many of them returned for Edmonton in 2024, including Tangerine, Canadian Tire, and Air Canada.
Zooming out: The tour is an exciting, rare opportunity to cultivate fandom in new markets — and for brands, it can get them in with women’s sports fans who are likely to be brand loyal and scoop up merch. While last year’s Takeover Weekend featured a presenting sponsor, this year’s tour lacks the same level of brand support despite high attendance and fan engagement.
- The PWHL has already banked close to 50 corporate sponsorships, but these neutral-site games give brands a unique opportunity to make headway with underserved fanbases. That’s what Canadian bank Tangerine built toward in its WNBA partnership, which produced tangible results among Canadian W fans. Do the math.
👀 DirecTV rolls out streamlined sports package after threatening Venu showdown
Yesterday, DirecTV announced the debut of MySports as an answer to the expensive and fragmented cable sports landscape. MySports offers access to ESPN channels, Fox Sports, TNT Sports, and collegiate and local networks for around $50 a month to start. Sound familiar? That’s because the parents of ESPN, Fox, and TNT proposed a similar concept last year as Venu Sports.
- Interestingly, DirecTV was one of the companies that pushed back against Disney’s acquisition of Fubo, which was seen as a potential way to clear a path for Venu’s launch before the streamer was shelved just four days ago. Coincidence?
🏀 Philadelphia 76ers team up with Comcast to recruit WNBA team to Philly
The NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers franchise is strengthening its relationship with Comcast to expand the company’s local sports footprint. On Sunday, the telecoms giant purchased a minority stake in the 76ers and will assist the team with building a new venue in South Philly after the team abandoned controversial plans for a downtown arena.
- Comcast will also partner with Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment to campaign for the WNBA’s 16th franchise, which is expected to begin play by 2028. The W is saturated with bids, but Philly has long been floated as a potential market, especially considering its population and avid NBA fandom.
🔥 Icy Hot joins Unrivaled as sponsorship activations heat up
Unrivaled — the 3v3 pro women’s basketball league tipping off Friday — continues to sign major brand partnerships at the buzzer. The league announced Icy Hot as its official recovery partner yesterday, marking the pain reliever brand’s largest sports partnership to date. The deal also adds Unrivaled co-founder Napheesa Collier to Icy Hot’s illustrious athlete ambassador roster.
- Additionally, league founding partner Ally Financial will ship official watch party kits to seven select sports bars across the U.S. that will air all 2025 Unrivaled games. Party time, excellent.
🎾 Tax firm and prominent golf sponsor KPMG inked a deal with WTA No. 6 Jessica Pegula, which includes sporting the KPMG logo on her racquet bag. Quite the return.
🎙️ iHeart Media launched eight new podcasts on its iHeart Women’s Sports platform, which is the first audio platform dedicated exclusively to women’s sports.
🏛️ A Texas man was charged with stalking Indianapolis Fever star Caitlin Clark one month after an Oregon man pleaded guilty to stalking UConn star Paige Bueckers.
🍎 Apple urged shareholders to reject a proposal to back away from its DEI efforts amid an anti–DEI trend rippling through major companies like Meta and McDonald’s.
📱 Billionaire and X owner Elon Musk is reportedly being considered as a potential TikTok buyer, although TikTok parent ByteDance said it “can’t be expected to comment on pure fiction.” Mic drop.
Peep our squad’s MVPs (Most Valuable Picks):
💻 How to make life easier
With TinyWow. Need to convert a PDF? Have a JPEG but need a PNG? TinyWow can help with all of your tech needs in a flash. You’re welcome.
💪 Who to bet on
Women, of course. The Wild Women, an all-women adventure racing team, made history by beating men half their age when they crushed a 450km Legend Race. HYFR.
🏎️ What to read
This article about Lewis Hamilton’s move to Ferrari. After years of dominance with Mercedes, Sir Lewis is making the switch to Ferrari for 2025. Vroom, vroom.
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