On the ball

The GIST: In its joint bid for the 2031 FIFA Women’s World Cup (WWC), U.S. Soccer — which plans to host alongside Mexico, Jamaica, and Costa Rica — submitted its bid book for the tournament, with the overwhelming majority of proposed venues spanning U.S. cities.

• With so many sites spanning the U.S., the bid illustrates how the country is doubling down on hosting summer tournaments — and how brands can benefit from these tourneys amid a surging travel tourism market, especially for women’s sports.

The economic boost: The 2031 WWC benefits from quite the tournament runway: The U.S. is already prepping to co-host the 2026 men’s World Cup (WC) and LA28. In 2026, the U.S. is hosting 75% of WC matches, which are expected to bring 1.24M international visitors.

• Despite the multi-city spread, foreign fans are expected to attend two matches on average, and specific cities hosting a majority of final stage matches (NYC, Dallas, and Miami) are banking on hotel revenue surges of up to 7%.

• While the WWC isn’t the financial juggernaut the WC is yet, Australia enjoyed an $867.5M economic impact from hosting in 2023. Since then, women’s soccer has exploded in global popularity as women’s sports fans power travel tourism. That said, U.S. foreign and domestic policy under the Trump administration has hedged estimates.

The brand ROI: The 2026 WC could reach 6B globally and the rising contingent of soccer-loving Americans. The tournament is also slated to have increased reach to U.S. multicultural communities as well as those who are digitally tuned in, signaling an opportunity for tech companies. It doesn’t hurt that brands in the 2023 WWC saw boosted brand consideration among American fans.

• In its bid book, U.S. Soccer predicts the 2031 WWC will attract over 4.5M fans across all four countries and generate the highest-ever viewership for a women’s sports event, allowing them to haul over $4B in total revenue.

Looking ahead: Even though the U.S. is sharing bids with other countries, its ability to accommodate across its billion-dollar sports stadiums means the nation is tasked with hosting the majority of matches in both upcoming tournaments.

• While American and Mexican brands will benefit from the multi-year lead-up, it’s a tough break that Canada wasn’t consulted on the initial bid originally pitched for 2027 — a missed opportunity considering the synergy between American and Canadian audiences. Dommage.

The GIST: Last week, English soccer club Arsenal announced a new global marketing partnership with Paramount+, the U.S.–based streaming platform that currently reaches 28 countries. Through the partnership, Arsenal players will team up with acting talent to promote Paramount+ content, including popular shows like Landman and MobLand.

• We’ve seen sports teams offer their content on their own apps and streamers, but this is a rare partnership between a sports franchise and an entertainment-powered streamer — especially as CBS looks to maintain its status as the U.S.’s international soccer hub. Tapping into their arsenal.

The details: The partnership will feature Arsenal players and legends, including iconic striker Thierry Henry, who narrated a co-branded video announcing the collab. In addition to promoting the aforementioned shows, both women’s and men’s players will star in cross-promotional content and social media campaigns for Paramount+.

• Additionally, Paramount+ will have in-stadium branding during match days for women’s and men’s games, as well as other experiences and activations for fans. It’s worth noting that despite the partnership, CBS does not have EPL broadcasting rights in the U.S. — NBC does.

The angle: CBS has been going all in on European soccer after winning Champions League rights and signing a marketing partnership with David Beckham. Partnering with the EPL’s most valuable squad adds value and prestige to the Paramount+ brand and will likely drive subscribers to the streamer, hooking Arsenal fans also intrigued by its entertainment offerings.

• And while EPL fandom is growing in the U.S., it’s not exactly mainstream — but the widely-appealing Landman is. Earlier this year, it was the streamer’s top show — and uniting characters from the quintessential Western drama with international soccer players could help drive mainstream U.S. familiarity for Arsenal when the Champions League rolls around.

Zooming out: It’s a smart play for Paramount+, which boasts global reach — as do EPL teams like Arsenal. We’ve seen streamers only scratch the surface in branding women’s sports as cultural moments, such as Netflix’s boxing bouts and its Stranger Things collab with the Indiana Fever.

• With Netflix and even Disney+ doubling down on live sports, this type of content cross-promotion is a great vehicle to reach new demos and drive subscribers to a streamer — especially since Gen Z sports consumption is more integrated with pop culture. It’s everything, everywhere, all at once.

After the mayhem of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, today is all about generosity and showing up for each other.

And we’re joining in by giving back to Team IMPACT, an amazing nonprofit that pairs children facing serious illness or disability with local college sports teams. It’s a years-long bond that builds confidence for kids and leadership for athletes. Sports at its best.

From now until 11:59 p.m. PT, we’ll donate 10% of all merch and The GIST Plus profits to Team IMPACT. We’re also offering special discounts on select apparel so you can rep The GIST while supporting a great cause.