Spill the tee
From The GIST Sports Biz (hi@thegistsports.com)
Hello!
Last night’s game between Caitlin Clark’s Indiana Fever and Angel Reese’s Chicago Sky — which garnered the highest average WNBA ticket price on record — is expected to also be the biggest one yet in terms of TV viewership. A little rivalry never hurt anybody.
Olympics
🏊 Rolling in the deep
The GIST: Flexing up to larger venues is the latest women’s sports trend that’s allowed teams and leagues to prove that fandom and demand is often limited by smaller infrastructure. Now, Olympic sports like swimming are dipping their toes in by repurposing NFL stadiums to accommodate thousands of fans. Let’s dive in.
The details: On June 15th, the nine-day U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials kicked off at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana, home of the NFL’s Indianapolis Colts. This was the event’s first time being staged on a football field, and the 70K-seat venue allowed the biggest crowd for an indoor swim meet to gather twice, the latest record standing at 22K.
- Then on Friday, LA28’s organizing committee announced that its swimming events will take place at 38K-seater SoFi Stadium, instead of building a temporary venue at USC for 17K fans. This will become the largest Olympic swimming venue ever, beating this summer’s 30K-seater Paris La Defense Arena, the largest indoor events venue in Europe.
The trials: The U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials in Indianapolis have been an instant success story. USA Swimming CEO Tim Hinchey III said early ticket sales were below expectations, but TV coverage and word-of-mouth (not to mention help from local celebrities) drove interest and helped bring in over 190K total fans so far…and counting.
The trend: Swimming’s popularity is surging beyond just in-person crowds. NBC reported an average Trials viewership of 3.2M, 20% higher than the 2020 Trials during the COVID-19 pandemic. And on the sponsorship side, decorated Olympian Katie Ledecky recently joined Simone Biles as an Athleta ambassador and appears in the brand's 2024 Olympic ad campaign.
- Plus, college phenom Gretchen Walsh — who just set the 50 butterfly world record at the Trials — announced a Sporti swimwear line with sister and fellow Team USA swimmer Alex last month. Like an American.
Zooming out: Flexing up venues has been popular in sports like women’s soccer, basketball, and hockey, but the Olympics allow sports like swimming and track & field to find creative opportunities to capitalize on hype. Several local sponsors jumped into the pool for this year’s Trials, and with an Olympic stage at SoFi, the spotlight will be even bigger and brighter. No need to stay in your lane.
Together With Armoire
💅 It’s time for a haul
Summer ’fits are just around the corner. Treat yourself to a new look, courtesy of Armoire, the busy woman’s favorite clothing rental service. Here are a few pieces that caught GIST HQ’s eye:
- And this Yumi Kim V-Neck Romper. So chic.
Plans start at just $89 a month for four pieces, with an unlimited option available for less than $250. Best of all, GISTers receive up to 50% off their first month of membership by using code THEGIST. Happy shopping.
💼 NewCo continues front office build with latest sports industry veteran appointment
Former Chelsea Women’s commercial director Zarah Al-Kudcy is set to join NewCo — the new company governing UK women’s soccer’s top two flights — as its chief revenue officer. Al-Kudcy has also held executive roles in the commercial and marketing departments at F1 and the England and Wales Cricket Board.
- Landing Al-Kudcy as chief revenue officer won’t be the last high-profile move from NewCo this summer, as it's still searching for a chief football officer and head of communications. Here’s to hiring more women in sports.
🏛️ Houston Christian University points out NCAA settlement issue with legal objection
Houston Christian University filed the first official objection to the expected settlement coming out of the House v. NCAA case, which will likely see college sports’ governing body pay out $2.7B in back pay to athletes unable to earn NIL revenue under the NCAA’s previous guidelines.
- The university filed a request on Thursday for “intervention” to the settlement terms, arguing that the NCAA’s payouts to larger schools will reduce its annual revenue distributions to all schools, ultimately hurting smaller schools like Houston Christian and prompting them to raise tuition costs.
⚖️ NCAA, pro sports unions enter proxy war in Dartmouth union case
The NCAA filed a brief last week supporting Dartmouth University’s appeal against a recent court ruling allowing its men’s basketball players to unionize. However, the NBPA, NHLPA, and the sports council of the AFL-CIO — which represents the NFLPA, MLBPA, WNBA, NWSLPA and MLSPA — filed their own brief in support of the athletes. This means war.
🥎 The LA28 Olympics and Paralympics Committee announced that softball and canoe slalom events will take place in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, since the city’s existing infrastructure meets Olympic standards. Hitting it a little too far out of the park.
💻 Longtime Olympic tech partner Cisco has been appointed official network equipment partner of LA28.
⛵ SailGP — the new sailing league with a U.S. team owned by Marc Lasry’s Avenue Sports Fund — has seen team valuations grow an additional 20% this year, per Sportico.
🍺 Michelob Ultra inked a deal to become the official beer partner of the Concacaf W Champions Cup, the Concacaf Champions Cup, and MLS.
🏈 Chicago Bears assistant running backs coach Jennifer King joined WNFC’s Breakfast and Awards Show on Sunday at the Dallas Cowboys’ headquarters.
⛳ Online golf booking platform Loop Golf, which allows golfers to find and book tee times at U.S. golf courses, completed a $1M seed funding round. Spill the tee.
Together With Gainbridge
Some things just make sense. For example, when Annika Sörenstam’s The ANNIKA LPGA event and the Billie Jean King Cup fell on the same week last year, it was a no-brainer for Gainbridge to leverage that opportunity to elevate women’s sports. And, no surprise here, Parity Week 2023 served up an ace.
- But Gainbridge’s Chief of Sponsorship Mike Nichols is always looking to level up: “Our hope is that in five years, Parity Week is doing more than $150K [in grants] and other companies that believe in bettering the lives of girls and women through sports and education join the movement.” Mic drop.
This year’s initiative is doing just that by providing $5K grants to orgs that support girls and women in sports or education. Sound like you or someone you know? Apply for a grant, and you could be Gainbridge’s next partner in growing the game.
Recs from our roster!
🏀 What not to scroll past
ESPN broadcaster Chiney Ogwumike’s insightful words on the WNBA. Particularly this season, it’s a conversation that’s deeply relevant.
🗣️ Who’s speaking up
Kylian Mbappé. The French soccer captain made a powerful Euro 2024 press conference statement, saying he stands against extremism and divisive ideas as his home country prepares for a major election next month.
🇫🇷 Who to know
Phryge. The quirky Paris 2024 mascot is set to pump up the Olympic spirit all summer long.
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