The GIST

Parity SVP Alana Casner explains why brands adore athlete moms

Let’s be clear: Advertisers do portray mothers across advertising, more so than women without children. But the standard portrayal features mothers as caretakers engrossed in domestic tasks and has changed little since the 1950s.

February 14, 2026

Athletes, celebrities, and executives illustrate brand opportunity at Winter Olympics

The Winter Olympics are underway and seem to be trekking in the footsteps of Paris 2024, a.k.a. the “Social Media Olympics.” Once again, we’re seeing trends play out in real time as athletes and celebrity fans play an increased role in driving brand engagement. We’re breaking down the top headlines out of Milano Cortina this week.

February 12, 2026

AI prominence in Super Bowl ads ignites conversation about its role in women’s sports

Super Bowl (SB) ads are often a pulse check on trends in the year to come, at least from an advertising perspective — after all, these are the companies betting big on reaching the most Americans possible in a single spot. And this year, many SB ads featured AI companies and some were even created by AI, although a majority of SB viewers didn’t like them.

February 10, 2026

The brands backing a 24-year-old’s push for the Olympics

Annika Malacinski has the kind of Olympic story media outlets and marketers dream of. The 24-year-old daughter of a ski instructor grew up in Steamboat Springs, Colorado — one of the only areas in the U.S. with the infrastructure to facilitate Nordic combined, a marriage between cross-country skiing and ski jumping.

January 24, 2026

Naomi Osaka walks onto the court in couture at Australian Open

January 23, 2026

Brands turn to emerging women’s sports leagues to reach young digital natives

Softball. Baseball. Lacrosse. What do these sports have in common? In 2025, they all fielded brand-new professional women’s leagues.

January 10, 2026

Wasserman publishes latest report on private equity, asset appreciation in women’s sports

On Monday, Wasserman’s The Collective published the third part of its extensive research on the economy of women’s sports and the influence of women fans. In this edition, The Collective focused on the growth of the women’s sports ecosystem, studying macrotrends exemplified by increased private equity (PE) investment and infrastructure investment.

December 23, 2025

Grand Slam Track announces bankruptcy as Athlos, others illustrate what emerging sports leagues need for success

Sports Business

Grand Slam Track announces bankruptcy as Athlos, others illustrate what emerging sports leagues need for success

December 16, 2025

After months of financial difficulties, track & field league Grand Slam Track (GST) — spearheaded by Olympic legend Michael Johnson — officially filed for bankruptcy last week. As popular Olympic sports try to extend their reach beyond the global competition, GST presents a cautionary tale as it endured common issues faced by upstart sports leagues.

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The GIST of It Podcast

Ep #533

How Dawn Staley fosters confidence in her student-athletes

February 24, 2026

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How Dawn Staley fosters confidence in her student-athletes

It’s time to take it to the hardwood.

Today’s episode is the absolute perfect way to segue into the next major sports moment: March Madness. The Milano Cortina Olympics are done and dusted, but while some of the greatest athletes in the world were duking it out in Italy, there were major college hoops moments happening in the U.S. Who better to join the pod today to discuss March Madness, plus empowering young girls on and off the court than South Carolina women’s basketball head coach Dawn Staley? Co-hosts Steph Rotz and Lauren Tuiskula agree: this convo is a must-listen for any woman. Thanks again to Dove for fostering this important episode about body confidence.