Do it for the gram
From The GIST Sports Biz (hi@thegistsports.com)
Hi there!
U.S. rugby star and TikTok sensation Ilona Maher played her first game with the U.K.’s Bristol Bears in front of a record home crowd of 9.2K at Ashton Gate yesterday. This more than doubled the Bears’ previous 4.1K mark and notched a new record for a standalone game in Premiership Women's Rugby. Ruck yeah.
Women’s sports
💄 Beholden by beauty
The GIST: On Friday, Unrivaled debuted an innovative multiyear partnership with popular beauty retailer Sephora. This is the latest beauty partnership in the women’s sports space, as companies have begun to realize women athletes are the ideal brand marketers thanks to their authenticity and reach. No glossing over this.
The details: Sephora will feature in Unrivaled’s on-court signage and programming, along with bringing some unique assets to the table. The company will provide beauty supplies for the league’s new glam room at its purpose-built Miami facility — something Transwestern executive Morgan Bartelstein told The GIST is becoming top of mind for WNBA clubs.
- Sephora will also be the first Unrivaled partner to have its branding in the arrival hall for player entrances, which is becoming increasingly photographed and filmed across numerous sports. Doing it for the gram.
The context: Makeup partnerships are surging in women’s sports, with brands quickly claiming space through exclusive deals. Glossier has linked up with the WNBA and USA Basketball, while NYX Cosmetics has focused on teams like the W’s NY Liberty and the NWSL’s Angel City FC.
- Meanwhile, sports newcomers like E.l.f. Cosmetics have partnered with the PWHL and the Indy 500, while beauty tool brand Shark Beauty sponsored women’s college basketball’s inaugural Shark Beauty™ Women’s Champions Classic last year.
Zooming out: When beauty brands partner with women’s sports leagues, they’re not only reaching fans from their key demographics, but they’re targeting loyal consumers. These leagues also provide companies with crucial access to women athletes, who are proven to be effective brand ambassadors because they are relatable yet aspirational.
- Beauty brands see 14x reach and 3.2x engagement from influencer-led campaigns, but there’s often promotional fatigue with traditional influencers. That’s where women athletes come in: Their fans are more than twice as likely to buy a product promoted by a woman athlete over other types of influencers. Beauty, eh?
🏀 NCAA women’s March Madness title game cracks top 100 broadcasts of 2024
While Nielsen’s annual list of the top 100 broadcasts continued to be dominated by the NFL in 2024, one notable exception was the NCAA women’s March Madness championship game between South Carolina and Iowa, which drew 18.9M viewers.
- It was the sole women’s sports event on the list, but beat out both Olympic entries, college football’s Sugar Bowl and SEC Championship game, and Game 5 of MLB’s World Series. Everyone watches women’s sports.
🏒 PWHL sees early attendance success in year two
The PWHL is starting 2025 off right with heightened attendance, likely due to increased venue capacity. Toronto and Montréal benefitted from offseason arena upgrades with recent sellouts, while New York enjoyed season-high attendance last week at its new Prudential Center home. After 19 games, average attendance sits at 6.5K — higher than 2024’s average of 5.8K.
The GIST's Bracket Challenge
🏈 Hut hut! You’re invited to enter The GIST’s free Pro Football Playoff bracket challenge
The GIST: Pass the buffalo wings because the pro football postseason is finally here. To celebrate some of the most exciting months on the sports calendar, we’re hosting a free bracket challenge (March Madness style) and inviting you to join in on the fun.
What’s at stake: In addition to clinching the ultimate bragging rights as The GIST’s top pro football fan, the top three brackets will win Fanatics gift cards: $300 for first, $200 for second, and $100 for third — perfect for upgrading your sports apparel game.
How to play: Sign up for free and we’ll remind you to lock in your picks before the playoffs officially begin. It’s that easy!
🏀 Unrivaled dropped jerseys for all six teams on Friday ahead of the league’s first-ever media day. Fit check.
👕 Viral NFL apparel designer Kristin Juszczyk is partnering with Good American co-founder and Skims founding partner Emma Grede to launch sports apparel brand Off Season.
💸 High-performing tech stocks Apple, Alphabet, and Amazon — all of which enjoy extensive sports partnerships — outperformed the S&P 500 in 2024.
📈 According to The Mercury News, expansion club Bay FC finished its record-setting first season as a leader in merch sales, No. 4 in average attendance, and on pace to be in the top three for ticket revenue across all NWSL teams.
🍺 Rikki’s, the first bar dedicated to women’s sports in San Francisco, expanded on its plans to open this spring.
🍎 Streaming service Apple TV+ had a free promotion this weekend in an effort to draw new viewers and boost subscriptions. Into the sky.
🤖 Illinois and California began 2025 by passing new laws to regulate AI–generated content.
Here’s what has GIST HQ buzzing:
🎧 What to listen to
This episode of Life Kit, all about decluttering. Organizer Star Hansen breaks big messes down into small projects — start with a drawer, not your entire garage, for example.
⛷️ Who to know
Eddie the Eagle. Revisit the inspiring story of the underdog ski jumper who stole hearts at the 1988 Winter Olympics. You can also check out the heartwarming biopic starring Hugh Jackman and Taron Egerton.
👟 What to snag
Nike x Isamaya Ffrench. Fresh new Air Max Dn colorways inspired by influential female athletes are here to elevate your sneaker game.
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