Sparkle and glitter
From The GIST Sports Biz (hi@thegistsports.com)
Happy Hump Day!
Feeling the mid-week blues? Look no further than the newly-released PWHL schedule for a little Wednesday pick-me-up. Add your favorite team’s biggest games to your calendar, then scroll on for the latest in the business of women’s sports.
NWSL
⚽ Sparkle and glitter
The GIST: Launch day didn’t go as planned for NWSL expansion club BOS Nation FC, but it did successfully announce celebrity investment from actress Elizabeth Banks and gymnast Aly Raisman yesterday. The franchise uniquely boasts an all-women ownership group, but its incoming celeb investment follows an NWSL trend that’s helped franchises shine bright and far.
The trend: Fellow NWSL club Angel City FC is the best (but not only) example of celebrity investment immediately paying off in women’s pro soccer, and it has the ticket sales and league-high revenue of $31M to prove it.
- The influx of women celebs investing in women’s sports is also notable with many looking to make up for discriminatory pay gaps in their own industries — actresses, for example, earn $1M less on average than their male counterparts.
- Still, celebs, regardless of gender, have good reason to invest. Women’s sports can produce an exceptional return on investment: According to Deloitte, the industry will generate more than $1B in revenue this year. Now that’s bang for your buck.
The game plan: It’s no secret that increased investment means more opportunities and access to resources, but as former USWNT player and current Bay FC co-founder Aly Wagner also put it, “making women’s sports culturally relevant is critical to growing the business from a fan, partnership, and media perspective.”
- And what better way to increase cultural relevance than to merge pop culture and sports, which is exactly what celebrity involvement does. From being sideline spectators (see: Taylor Swift) to funding change in the C-suite, a sport’s reach is broadened by the infusion of pop culture.
The results: NWSL valuations continue to balloon, with franchises worth $104M on average, up 57% YoY. Angel City FC and the Kansas City Current (co-owned by Brittany and Patrick Mahomes) lead the way, with ACFC’s current valuation sitting at $250M in only its third season.
- Celebrity investment offers a whole lot of Ws: It’s a win for celebrities who are looking to diversify their portfolios, it’s a win for teams, who get an influx of funding and visibility, and it’s a win for fans (new and old) to see their fave celebs interact with beloved sports teams. Golazos all around.
🏀 WNBA continues to build on record-breaking 2024
Following commissioner Cathy Engelbert’s announcement last week that the W plans to add a 16th franchise by 2028, the league continues to level up — viewership of Sunday’s WNBA Finals Game 2 peaked at 1.82M. Despite competing with the NFL’s Week 6 slate, it was the most-watched Finals game in 23 years with viewership up 82% YoY through two games.
👟 Moolah Kicks releases two new sneakers with Stanley
The innovative women-first footwear brand dropped its fall collection on Friday as part of a Stanley collaboration that includes made-to-match hydration products. It’s the first time in the drinkware giant’s 111-year history that it's, ahem, stepping into the sneaker space.
⚽ Angel City FC disputes part of NWSL sanctions
In a Monday statement, the team acknowledged its mistakes in breaching the league’s salary cap in 2023, but disagreed with the league’s conclusions, specifically regarding players’ child care benefits. Angel City said it was unaware child care payments counted toward the salary cap and formally requested that the NWSL rescind its three-point standings deduction.
🏃♀️ Athlos NYC tops 3M viewers for September’s inaugural event
Through its non-exclusive platforms, the women’s track event founded by Serena Williams’ husband Alexis Ohanian had comparable viewership to this year’s MLB Wild Card round (2.83M viewers). Without a TV partner and relying on in-house promos from its star-studded cast of athletes, Athlos NYC is a testament to the growing appetite for women’s track in the U.S. The hype? It’s so real.
⚽ Canadian soccer icon Christine Sinclair is joining the ownership group for the Northern Super League’s Vancouver Rise — the perfect segway as Sincy moves on from her playing career.
⚫ Sphere Entertainment Co. and the Department of Culture and Tourism in Abu Dhabi confirmed that a second Sphere (yes, that sphere) will be built in the UAE’s capital.
🏀 The Golden State Valkyries received the No. 5 pick in next year’s WNBA Draft, setting an operational precedent for the league’s future expansion teams.
💰 The San Diego Wave have new owners after Lauren Leichtman and Arthur Levine closed the second part of their deal to purchase the team amid its ongoing lawsuit.
💄E.l.f. Cosmetics is partnering with the NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs as the longtime women’s sports investor hopes to promote inclusivity while tapping into a Leafs fan base that’s 45% women. For every eye, lip, and face-off.
🏐 The UK’s Netball Super League unveiled a new logo and brand identity, along with a plan to stream games on YouTube in an effort to emulate the WNBA’s growth trajectory.
⛰️ All sports teams at the University of Hawai’i will now join its football team in the Mountain West conference starting in 2026.
🧐 A study of 1,424 European companies found that board and leadership representation of women falls after private equity (PE) invests, an interesting factoid to consider as PE expands its reach in North American pro sports.
🧺 Olympic medalist Suni Lee partnered with laundry detergent brand All Free Clear to promote Eczema Awareness Month. Flippin’ fantastic.
Giveaway Alert
It’s starting to get a little colder out there, so now’s the time to spoil yourself with a stay for two in one of the world’s most unique and gorgeous destinations: Tulum, Mexico. Vamos!
- Win a three-night stay in Conrad Tulum Riviera Maya’s beach resort and get swept away by their beautiful beaches, picture-perfect palm trees, and crystal-clear waters.
No time to waste — enter to win today.
Here’s what has The GIST team currently hyped:
🎧 What to listen to
The GIST of It, of course. Hosted by besties Ellen Hyslop and Stephanie Rotz, it’s the women-produced and -hosted sports pod you’ve been waiting for.
🏈 What to support
The WNFC’s “Run the Play” campaign. October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and the Women’s National Football Conference is leading the charge with a playbook for self-exams. Join 10K women by tackling your health today.
🎟️ What to attend
Sportico’s October 23rd RISE event in NYC. Dive deep into women’s sports with stakeholders and key figures from the biggest leagues and media outlets, including Chiney Ogwumike.
Today's email was brought to you by Lisa Minutillo and Briana Ekanem. Fact checking by Bonnie Lee. Editing by Dee Lab. Operations by Elisha Gunaratnam and Lisa Minutillo. Ads by Katie Kehoe Foster and Alessandra Puccio. Managing edits by Molly Potter and Ellen Hyslop.