The GIST

New SponsorPulse insights reveal opportunity for activation among Canadian women’s soccer fans

Last Friday, sports data insights platform SponsorPulse made the case for why Canada is primed for women’s soccer fandom. The latest data affirms that even though Canadian interest in the sport is surging, the North remains an oft-overlooked market for American companies looking to reach soccer fans.

May 05, 2025

Athletes Unlimited revamps volleyball offering with plans to play in sport’s biggest hubs

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Yesterday, Athletes Unlimited (AU) Pro Volleyball revamped its volleyball championship with an exclusive, invite-only tournament featuring 44 of the world’s top players. For the first time ever, AU is splitting up its season across two cities known for their love of the game: Omaha, Nebraska and Madison, Wisconsin.

May 02, 2025

StubHub shares latest ticket data as WNBA interest surges in 2025

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WNBA ticket demand is at an all-time high: This year’s All-Star Game sold out within a day, and according to ticket sales platform StubHub, the W is much more popular this season. At a time when the industry needs to know where W fans are showing up, here’s more insight from StubHub’s data as we approach May 16th’s season tipoff.

May 02, 2025

New data on UK fans shows vast majority are keen on the women’s game

A new data report from Sky Sports — the UK’s largest investor in media rights across women’s sports properties — proves women’s sports are very mainstream, with 80% of UK fans expressing interest in at least one women’s sport.

April 30, 2025

The WNBA announces historic preseason expansion as fan, sponsor interest rises

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Yesterday, the WNBA made history (again) by announcing that all games in its expanded preseason slate will be broadcast or streamed this year. The move comes as the W continues to monetize its product, and with this whole new chunk of games, brands can reach WNBA superfans like never before.

April 30, 2025

NWSL shares proposal for second-tier affiliate league as U.S. soccer pyramid flourishes

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Last week, it was announced that the NWSL, per CBS Sports, formally applied to the U.S. Soccer Federation (USSF) to create a new Division II league in 2026. The timing is interesting, as it comes on the heels of big shake-ups in the U.S. soccer pyramid. Let’s recap and dig into the business opportunity for brands and owners alike.

April 28, 2025

Paige Bueckers Effect already impacting Dallas Wings ecosystem, teammates

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It’s only been a few weeks since Paige Bueckers was drafted to the WNBA’s Dallas Wings, but the entire ecosystem is already benefiting from the “Bueckers Effect.”

April 28, 2025

Sports Business

Designer brands Coach and Miu Miu seek women athletes to promote new collections

April 25, 2025

The overlap between luxury fashion and women’s sports continued this week with two designer-driven deals that recruited popular women athletes. On Wednesday, Coach revealed its athlete roster for its latest sneaker campaign, while New Balance (NB) furthered its Miu Miu collab the same day by debuting a Coco Gauff collection.

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The GIST of It Podcast

Ep #456

Finally — FIFA funds study investigating ACL injuries in women’s soccer

May 01, 2025

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Finally — FIFA funds study investigating ACL injuries in women’s soccer

The ACL injury epidemic isn’t going away.

But as of Tuesday, FIFA is taking major strides to address this career-altering injury in the women’s game. Today’s episode of The GIST of It breaks down the new FIFA-funded study investigating the link between ACL injuries and a player’s menstrual cycle, with co-hosts Ellen Hyslop and Steph Rotz highlighting the importance of gender-specific research like this across all women’s sports. Time to make progress.