The GIST

UEFA establishes second-tier club tournament as investment in women’s soccer deepens

In addition to sweetening the pot for Europe’s national teams, UEFA has been committed to creating a holistic ecosystem for women’s soccer at the club level. On Monday, the organization shared details around the Women’s Europa Cup, a second-tier club competition hoping to drive domestic investment in the women’s game across Europe.

December 18, 2024

Billionaire Marc Lasry and Avenue Sports Fund back out of NC Courage deal

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Per Sportico, billionaire sports investor Marc Lasry and his sports-focused private equity (PE) firm Avenue Sports Fund are no longer pursuing the purchase of the NC Courage, citing “NWSL restrictions for private equity investment as a control[ling] owner in teams.” With the NWSL being a sports league that uniquely allows PE investment, let’s dive into what we know.

December 02, 2024

Angel City FC invests in team, community with multimillion dollar practice facility

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Angel City FC (ACFC) announced yesterday that it’s constructing a new and improved, nine-acre performance center on California Lutheran University’s campus, the largest such facility dedicated exclusively to an NWSL club. The move comes as ACFC continues to strive for business growth and upping its valuation.

November 15, 2024

UK broadcasters Sky and the BBC agree to historic WSL media rights deal

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Women’s footy has finally caught its big break across the pond. Last week, the WSL — the top flight of UK women’s soccer — inked a five-year rights extension with Sky Sports and the BBC worth $84.5M. The deal follows months of speculation and has already been dubbed the “most significant” TV contract for women’s soccer in the UK and Ireland.

November 04, 2024

Men in Blazers becomes an official NWSL media partner with support from Ally

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In an exclusive with The GIST today, soccer media company Men in Blazers (MiB) announced it will become an official media partner of the NWSL. Its coverage will be led by women’s soccer vertical The Women’s Game (TWG), run by former USWNT star Sam Mewis, who spoke to The GIST yesterday about her experience with the company.

November 01, 2024

Celebrity investment is changing the game for women’s soccer, including for expansion team BOS Nation

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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.

October 16, 2024

Klarna teams up with Angel City FC for Hispanic Heritage Month capsule collection

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In an exclusive with The GIST today, AI–powered payment brand Klarna and Angel City FC (ACFC) announced the launch of the team’s limited-edition Hispanic Heritage Month capsule collection. The “del alma de los ángeles” drop was created in collaboration with LA–based designer Hija De Tu Madre to celebrate women’s sports and the Latinx community.

October 02, 2024

Sports Business

FIFA ruling alters European soccer transfer market, which could affect NWSL

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September 27, 2024

This week, the European Union’s (EU) top court ruled that some of FIFA’s rules around player transfer fees violate EU law following a successful suit by former Chelsea and Real Madrid men’s player Lassana Diarra. The decision is expected to have far-reaching implications, but one overlooked aspect is its potential effect on the new and improved NWSL market.

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The GIST of It Podcast

Ep #422

Volleyball's spotlight moment, plus a College Football Playoff primer

December 19, 2024

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Volleyball's spotlight moment, plus a College Football Playoff primer

Hello, hello!
Forget the holidays — it’s playoff season for a few fall college sports: women’s volleyball and football. On this episode of The GIST of It, co-hosts Ellen Hyslop and Steph Rotz first preview tonight’s national volleyball tournament semifinals, where all four No. 1 seeds will be duking it out for a spot in Sunday’s championship. And volleyball is just getting started in the U.S., with major news about the Pro Volleyball Federation and League One Volleyball dropping this week.
Then in part two, it’s all about the College Football Playoff, which begins on Friday night. The gals dig through the revamped 12-team format before shouting out the top players to watch on the gridiron. Hut, hut.
A big thank you to Aflac for partnering with us on today’s episode! Add Aflac to your team to close the insurance gap today. Learn more at aflac.com/thegist.