We think we like
From The GIST Sports Biz (hi@thegistsports.com)
TGIF!
The Golden State Valkyries are ending the week on a high note by becoming the first WNBA team in history to sell over 10K season tickets. The popularity of the Bay Area–based expansion team could help the league build on its 54 sellout crowds in 2024 — and potentially hit a new record. Tell ‘em when to go.
WNBA
📣 Speak up
The GIST: Yesterday, the WNBA and its Changemaker Collective — a group of community-focused brands — extended a key partnership with women-focused digital platform Voice in Sport (VIS). By collaborating with VIS, the W and its partners are able to reach a passionate Gen Z and Gen Alpha fanbase that’s looking to stay involved in basketball, both as players and fans. Easy buckets.
The details: After the initial year of their partnership provided virtual mentorship for 50K girls, the W and VIS are offering mentorship for a total of 100K participants by the end of 2025. Virtual mentorship includes one-on-one time with 16 WNBA athletes and league executives, which is meant to inspire young girls to stay involved in basketball and develop career goals beyond the court.
- This year’s partnership will also include a Build Your Career in Sport Leadership Series — led by women executives from Changemaker brands like AT&T, CarMax, Deloitte, Google, and Nike — and the introduction of the VIS App, where virtual resources will be available for girls 24/7.
The strategy: While staying in sport has numerous benefits for young women, such as improving mental health, building body confidence, and developing leadership qualities, it also keeps girls interested in the game as fans. One of the highest ratings boosts the W saw last year was from girls aged 12 to 17, and a program like this further strengthens bonds with the basketball league.
- The demographic targeted in this partnership is active and engaged, but it’s also one that’s twice as likely to drop out of sports compared to boys. The good news is that this program seems to be reaching them: VIS reports anecdotally that the girls who accessed resources last year were inspired by their connections with WNBA players.
Zooming out: The W is already trying to reach younger generations, with Gen Z and Gen Alpha proving to be digital natives interested in personal connections with their favorite athletes. Gen Zers are particularly interested in following sports on social media, so VIS has found a way to meaningfully reach this audience to keep them in basketball and foster lifelong fandom.
- Meanwhile, more Gen Alphas tend to be avid fans compared to adults, and a personalized experience like this is sure to speak their language. We think we like.
Soccer
⚽ Who run the world?
The GIST: Yesterday, U.S. media and marketing platform For Soccer released the first installment of its 2025 United States of Soccer series, which profiles women soccer fans in the U.S. The report covers how this audience of 44M women — 43% of all U.S. soccer fans — is growing in size and influence, offering insights for marketers to meet them where they are. Let’s kick it.
👶 Women soccer fans are young and culturally diverse. Thirty-two percent identify as Hispanic or Latino and 20% are Black or African American, which reinforces For Soccer’s previous report on the sport’s diversifying fandom. And while 14% of male fans are aged 16 to 24, around 24% of women fans fall in this age bracket.
📱 They prefer visual storytelling on social media platforms. Respondents aged 34 and under prefer TikTok, but also enjoy Facebook and Instagram at higher rates than male fans. And even though 71% of these fans engage with soccer on social media, they’re 37% less likely than male fans to check multiple times daily. No need to doomscroll.
👪 Their fandom is influenced by their personal lives. Thanks to increased participation and family influence, women are discovering soccer early on: 92% of those under age 35 found their fandom before age 19, and 22% of women fans said playing soccer spurred their interest. Plus, 33% said they’re “born into” pro soccer fandom, a rarer phenomenon in women’s sports.
💰 Women fans recognize the brands that are active on the pitch. Sixty-two percent of women fans noticed brand sponsors during soccer events, and they tend to reward the companies that support the beautiful game. Around 68% reported perceiving sponsors more favorably, and 68% were more likely to buy from brands sponsoring their fave teams and leagues. Paying it forward.
📈 Women’s March Madness posts high viewership numbers despite YoY dip
While 2024’s historic viewership has proven difficult to top, this year’s numbers are still ones for the record books — and may even reflect stronger growth of the women’s game overall. Women’s March Madness’ first and second rounds were the second most-watched early rounds on ESPN platforms ever, with first round viewership up 43% from 2023.
- And while Caitlin Clark and other stars drew viewership for specific teams last year, networks have enjoyed overall growth this season. Regular-season ratings on ESPN and ABC were up 3% YoY and 41% over 2022–2023, while average ad pricing during this year’s championship more than doubled. It’s anyone’s game.
😁 Invisalign builds on women’s sports presence with Bay FC partnership
Bay FC and Invisalign manufacturer Align Technology have teamed up to develop a new content series, and it isn’t the first time Invisalign is looking to leverage winning smiles. In addition to partnering with several Bay FC athletes and club co-founder Aly Wagner, the orthodontic brand sponsors women’s basketball stars KiKi Rice, Flau’jae Johnson, and Kamilla Cardoso.
🏟️ NY Liberty joins WNBA practice facility trend with $80M Greenpoint build
The reigning WNBA champions shared yesterday that its new training facility (expected by 2027) will be fully funded by the Liberty’s ownership group. That makes the Brooklyn-based team the fourth to announce a new practice facility in recent months after the LA Sparks, Chicago Sky, and Indiana Fever all confirmed construction of their own training digs. Empire state of mind.
🍀 After months of reconsidering its controversial club name, Boston’s NWSL expansion team announced its rebrand as Boston Legacy Football Club.
🎀 Barbie parent Mattel is collaborating with the PWHL on an exclusive merch collection designed by Canadian brand Peace Collective. Pretty in pink.
⛰️ Denver’s upcoming NWSL team shared renderings for its 43-acre training facility, which includes eight soccer fields and a temporary 12K-seater stadium.
💻 GoDaddy and Arizona State University launched the Student Athlete Venture Studio program, which will allocate more than $1M to over 650 ASU athletes to support their digital brand growth.
🌱 Supermarket chain Sprouts signed eight new NIL deals across seven different women’s college sports as part of its PowHERed by Sprouts program.
👾 Adidas secured a multiyear collaboration with iconic Gen Z game Minecraft, beginning with a capsule collection tied to the franchise’s forthcoming movie. New armor loading.
🇨🇦 The Northern Super League announced legacy Canadian brand Simons as its exclusive fashion partner.
💪 Dove has reached more than 100M young people through its Body Confident Sport initiative, which the brand launched with Nike in October 2023. Smooth like that.
Here’s what passed The GIST squad’s vibe check this week:
👛 What to use on game day
An eco-friendly handbag from Margo Paige. Unlike florals for spring, this clear, venue-friendly crossbody is groundbreaking.*
💄 How to set your makeup
With On ‘Til Dawn. WNBA star DiJonai Carrington swears by this setting spray, and for good reason. Sixteen-hour hold and hooper approved. Lock it in.
💰 Who to bet on
Women, of course. Deloitte predicts global women’s sports revenue will top $2B this year.
*P.S. This is a sponsored post. Ready for spring.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.