Football

Everyone is playing (and paying) women’s flag football

While there’s still higher male participation in the U.S., flag football is rapidly flourishing among women and girls. During the 2023–2024 season, nearly 43K girls played in high school (105% increase YoY), while other data suggests about 500K girls aged 6 to 17 years old participated at some level in 2023.

February 21, 2026

Brands at the Super Bowl are considering women’s sports, women fans more than ever

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Women make their way to Radio Row

February 07, 2026

NFL, Hallmark partnership illustrates potential scripted media opportunity in women’s sports

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This holiday season, the Buffalo Bills aren’t just playing NFL games — they’re the latest team featured in a holiday-themed Hallmark movie thanks to the channel’s NFL partnership.

December 23, 2025

Division races heat up ahead of Week 16 action

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Just like their college counterparts, the stakes are sky-high on the pro gridiron. With only three weeks left in the regular season, the NFL’s playoff picture is beginning to take shape — and three divisions are looking extra spicy in Week 16. Pour a glass of egg nog and let’s discuss.

December 19, 2025

Bad Bunny Super Bowl reactions underscore how Hispanic sports fans remain an overlooked market

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Despite his global appeal and 12 (!!!) Latin Grammy nominations, there’s continued cultural and political controversy over Puerto Rican megastar Bad Bunny headlining the Super Bowl LX halftime performance, with much of the criticism centering around the singer’s set being entirely in Spanish.

October 06, 2025

Instagram and Spotify share data from Taylor Swift’s appearance on New Heights podcast

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Earlier this week, Taylor Swift broke the Internet by announcing she would join her boyfriend Travis Kelce’s podcast, New Heights, for the first time to release initial details for her 12th album. Unsurprisingly, early data around Swift’s announcement further demonstrate the power of Swifties crossing over into the sports world.

August 15, 2025

Project Rudy pitches an umbrella-style solution for NCAA football

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With an uncertain future looming, the latest reimagination of college football (CFB) — called “Project Rudy” — is being spearheaded by former Disney executives as an umbrella-style solution buoyed by private equity (PE).

October 11, 2024

WNFC founder Odessa Jenkins shares business wins ahead of season kickoff

Sports Business

WNFC founder Odessa Jenkins shares business wins ahead of season kickoff

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April 05, 2024

The Women’s National Football Conference (WNFC) kicks off its fifth season tomorrow with some new business developments, including an expanded media partnership with Caffeine TV and the creation of a new flag football branch. This Tuesday, WNFC founder Odessa Jenkins spoke with The GIST about how it all came together.

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The GIST of It Podcast

Ep #558

Spilling World Cup tea and talking tequila with Tobin Heath & Christen Press

May 21, 2026

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Spilling World Cup tea and talking tequila with Tobin Heath & Christen Press

The men’s FIFA World Cup is just three weeks away — which means it’s time to start studying up on the tournament’s biggest edition ever. Good thing USWNT legends Tobin Heath and Christen Press are today’s guests on The GIST of It, spilling the tea on their World Cup plans, the teams they’re most excited to cheer on, and their World Cup partnership with Don Julio 1942. Cheers to that.