The Athena Pledge, a first-of-its-kind, collaborative project between AT&T, Capital One, Cisco, and Deloitte, was announced last week with the aim to rally other brands to increase their women’s sports spend as well as to prioritize women’s sports in their own strategic planning.

Former University of Florida track star Parker Valby inked a deal with New Balance last week as she ramps up to her first year as a pro. In an interview with the GIST, Valby said she had a gut feeling New Balance was the right fit for her, opting not to re-sign with Nike after she became the first collegiate women’s runner to sign an endorsement deal with the brand in 2023.

The Collective — the women’s sports research branch of talent agency giant Wasserman — published new insights yesterday on women sports fans globally. Its most recent findings indicate women are a growing demographic in sports fandoms, one that activates more keenly around brands — something The GIST knows very well. *winks*

Last Thursday, women’s track meet Athlos NYC took off at Icahn Stadium in Manhattan, and seemed to be everything founder Alexis Ohanian billed it to be. As we wait for official viewership and attendance numbers, immediate IRL impressions suggest Athlos could be the next major event on the Big Apple’s sports calendar between the US Open and the NYC Marathon.

In an exclusive conversation with The GIST yesterday, pro track competition Grand Slam Track’s (GST) director of athletes and racing Kyle Merber shared that the new league recently signed three Olympic medalists. As the Diamond League raises its prize money and Alexis Ohanian’s Athlos happens tomorrow, GST’s additions prove the sport is ripe for development — it just needs a little repackaging.

The numbers are finally in for NBCUniversal’s coverage of the 2024 Paralympics, and the athletes weren’t the only ones shattering records. After offering 1.5K hours of coverage this year, the network reached a record 15.4M total viewers, proving there’s an immense audience opportunity for the Games.

Following Monday’s story on how the “sport-curious” contingent among Gen Z consumers operates, sponsorship analysis platform SponsorPulse shared some of its own insightful data about how the Zoomer generation engages with sports and pop culture.

Prominent U.S. agency Horizon Media is digging into what drives consumers through a series of data-driven reports focused on major cultural trends. Its first one, “Sport-Curious,” dropped on Friday and confirmed what sports biz folks already know: Gen Z viewers aren’t tuning in to sports the same way as other generations, creating a real conundrum for the industry.

The Paralympics are in the spotlight like never before, with the increased exposure and investment resulting in serious global viewership. The U.S., Canada, the U.K., and France all reported historic numbers after expansive media commitments.

Today, Paris begins its hosting duties once again, this time for the 2024 Paralympic Games. While both the Olympics and Paralympics showcase athletes on the world’s greatest stage, only the Olympics have historically benefitted from comprehensive investment — something media partners like NBC, sponsors like Toyota, and Paralympians are hoping to change.

It’s official — Venu Sports won’t begin streaming anytime soon after a federal judge granted a preliminary injunction to squash the megalithic app (which was set to launch on August 23rd) on Friday.