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From The GIST Sports Biz (hi@thegistsports.com)
’Ello!
It’s been a great week for women’s footy across the pond after Europe’s football governing body UEFA made major changes to its women’s competitions. National soccer teams competing in the UEFA Women’s Euro 2025 will split a $43M prize pot, a 156% leap since its 2022 iteration.
- Although it’s nearly $315M less than the pool for the men’s Euro 2024, the women’s side is quickly scaling up to close the gap — more on that below.
Women’s soccer
⚽ Widening the field
The GIST: 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.
- The move follows UEFA’s recent $1.08B commitment to grow the women’s game at all tiers, which is crucial for creating a pipeline of athletic talent and generating fandom in smaller markets. Started from the bottom.
The tournament: After UEFA floated the idea last December, the governing body confirmed in July that the competition will begin in 2025 and follow a similar format to the top-tier Women’s Champions League (WCL). In the Women’s Europa Cup, thirteen teams will qualify for the tournament from lower-ranked soccer associations, such as Norway’s Toppserien and Iceland’s Besta deild kvenna.
- Plus, clubs eliminated from the second and third qualifying rounds of the WCL will join the tournament, while the Europa Cup winner will punch its ticket to the WCL’s third qualifying round the following season.
The comparison: The men’s side is more developed at the lower club levels — the second-tier UEFA Europa League competition has existed since 1971 and ranks above the UEFA Conference League, a third-tier tournament launched in 2021. In 2022–23, both competitions combined generated about $504M in revenue.
Zooming out: While lower-level clubs cultivate more opportunities for athletes, coaches, and viewers, they also create a space for brands looking to come off the sidelines. For companies that want to reach avid fans, second-tier competitions are a great way to dip their toes into women’s sports without spending millions for a spot among top-tier tournaments.
- North America could hop on this trend by utilizing the pre-professional USL W and the pro USL W Super League, which is looking to develop its own multi-tiered pipeline in a fragmented U.S. soccer pyramid. While American leagues aren’t quite there, fandom is, and so is the interest in international club competitions like the Summer Cup. ¡Ándale!
⛰️ Denver reportedly closes in on NWSL franchise
Yesterday, Sportico reported the NWSL is entering negotiations with an ownership group from Denver for the league’s 16th expansion franchise. Led by IMA Financial Group CEO Robert Cohen, the bid is estimated to be between $105M and $120M — double the NWSL’s latest $53M expansion fee for Boston and a potential record for women’s sports. Miles high.
💰 Unrivaled announces new partnership following $28M Series A funding round
Unrivaled announced Miller Lite as its official beer partner yesterday in a deal that includes branding and on-court signage. This adds to parent company Molson Coors’ continued presence in women’s sports as Miller Lite joins State Farm and Ticketmaster as one of the 3v3 basketball league’s many sponsors prior to its inaugural season.
- Plus, Unrivaled recently raised $28M in its Series A funding round that included investment from Dawn Staley, JuJu Watkins, and Giannis Antetokounmpo. Although highly variable, this number is high for Series A funding rounds, which currently raise around $18M on average.
🚫 Venu Sports hits another legal roadblock
The multi-network sports streamer pitched by Disney, Fox, and Warner Bros. Discovery experienced another loss Monday in its battle to make it to market. After U.S. District Judge Margaret M. Garnett sided with FuboTV in the streamer’s lawsuit against Venu and granted a preliminary injunction in August, she subsequently denied the defendants’ motion to dismiss the lawsuit. Ouch.
📈 Google Trends’ 2024 data reflects rising interest in women’s sports
Google search interest in “women’s sports” reached an all-time high in 2024 powered by searches for women’s sports merch. Togethxr’s “Everyone Watches Women’s Sports” tee led the way on Google, while record WNBA and NCAA women’s basketball interest aligned with 2024’s top trending woman athlete (Caitlin Clark) and women’s team (Hannah Hidaglo’s Notre Dame squad).
Together With Skyscanner
It’s no secret that women’s sports are part of a Femininomenon, even influencing global travel. That's right, Skyscanner forecasted seven travel trends for 2025, and hitting the road for a game is one of them. Powerful.
- Think you can guess the other top travel trends? Be warned: Skyscanner, the best place to find ultra-cheap flight fare, may just inspire you to book on the spot.
🇨🇦 The WNBA’s third Canada Game will tip off next August, featuring a regular-season matchup for the first time ever. Around the world.
🏐 The Pro Volleyball Federation inked a media rights deal to broadcast matches across FS1 and FS2, including 12 nationally televised matches.
💸 The Players Era Festival is establishing a women’s college basketball tournament next year starring UCLA, South Carolina, Texas, and Duke that will award each team with $1M in guaranteed NIL opportunities.
👟 Las Vegas Aces star A’ja Wilson secured a six-year extension with Nike in one of the most lucrative deals for a women’s basketball player ever. Of course.
‼️ A new FIFPro report found that 15 women soccer players made more than 50 appearances for their club and national teams last season, highlighting how soccer’s elite women athletes are overworked by top competitions.
🏏 International Cricket Council (ICC) chairman Jay Shah is already working to get cricket included at the 2032 Brisbane Olympics following the sport’s appearance at LA28. A true badger.
Hi. It’s us. We’re the recommenders, it’s us.
📊 What to know about
The Microsoft Excel World Championship. Yes, it’s a thing and the winner gets a wrestling-style belt.
📚 What to read
The New Yorker’s best books of 2024. End the year with these top picks in fiction, nonfiction, and poetry.
🏀 What to revisit
Mitchell & Ness. The iconic throwback jersey brand is back and fresher than ever, celebrating 120 years of style.
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