The GIST

We can’t wait to see all your smiling faces in Paris! 🤩⁣ •⁣ ICYMI, we recently partnered with our friends Canadian Tire Corporation, long-time partner of Team Canada, to host the ultimate “We All Play for Canada” Team Canada Paris 2024 Olympic Games contest to give GISTers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. 🤝⁣ •⁣ We are thrilled to announce the winners who will soon be on their way to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games with co-founder of The GIST and co-host of “The GIST of It” podcast, Ellen Hyslop 👇⁣ • Alexis H.⁣ Jay A.⁣ Sophia A.⁣ Joel S.⁣ Jaelyse G.⁣ •⁣ Congratulations to all the winners and thanks to everyone who entered. We loved hearing how women’s sports have shaped your life. 🙌⁣ •⁣ Stay tuned to @thegistca for on-the-ground coverage from Paris later this month. 👀⁣

The Championship will coincide with the men’s Olympic event in Paris — where women still can’t compete. SMDH. 😠 • For more sports biz stories like this one, subscribe to our free, 3x-weekly sports biz newsletter here: https://lnkd.in/eYH82ywF • The pentathlon — essentially a non-stop marathon of five different track and field activities — originated in ancient Greece over 2000 years ago. The modern decathlon, which consists of 10 consecutive events such as running, jumping, and throwing, has been practiced in the U.S. since the late 1800s and was first included in the 1912 Olympics. 👀 • Despite decathlon events existing for women outside of the Olympics, women have only been allowed to compete in a seven-event heptathlon starting at the 1984 LA Olympics. American decathlete Lauren Kuntz called this a vestige of “historical sexism,” which ultimately set the stage for today’s lack of financial resources and visibility. 😔 • Backed by women’s sports power players Parity and Gainbridge, Ico for All’s world championships is being organized by Kuntz and will feature over 30 athletes from 10 countries, including U.S. phenoms Jordyn Bruce and Katie Straus. 🤝 • In addition to the main event, the org is putting on an icosathlon (aka a double decathlon) with 20 different track and field events. The competition will be open to all genders, ages, and abilities, a winning strategy to include more athletes in another version of the sport that — you guessed it — also excludes women. 🤦♀️ • Paris 2024 is touting its gender parity in both the number of athletes and events, but that overlooks the fact that only men have the opportunity to participate in the decathlon while women can only compete in the seven-event heptathlon. • While women have been fighting for inclusion into the event for decades, the recent involvement of powerful sponsors like Parity and Gainbridge can help athletes overcome the hurdles of being sidelined and excluded from the Games. If you can’t join them, leave them. 🤷♀️

That's FOUR TIMES (!!!) as much annually as its current broadcast package. Talk about securing the bag. 💰🔥⁣ • For more women's sports biz wins like this one, subscribe to our free, 3x-weekly sports biz newsletter here: https://lnkd.in/eYH82ywF •⁣ The WNBA (Women's National Basketball Association)'s rise to popularity is soon to be rewarded financially, according to The Athletic, with new media rights deals reportedly valued at approximately $2.2B, or $200M/year. 👀⁣ •⁣ The deal would be part of the National Basketball Association (NBA)’s reported 11 year, $76B broadcast deal with The Walt Disney Company, CNBC and Amazon. 🤝⁣ •⁣ The WNBA’s current media deals, which expire in 2025, bring in $50m a year – the new agreement would quadruple that amount to $200m a year for 11 years and include room for further income from other broadcast partners. 📈⁣ •⁣ This increased revenue has the potential to transform the league, and in particular tackle some of the league's biggest issues – like pay disparity, where WNBA athletes (on average) make about 2% of their NBA counterparts' salaries. 😔⁣ •⁣ The W's surge in popularity, from average attendances to viewership, has been a huge factor in this new deal. So let's keep that momentum going, shall we? 🙌⁣

This Barbie is GOATed. 🐐🏀⁣ •⁣ Mattel, Inc. announced on Tuesday that former Seattle Storm player Sue Bird is getting her own Role Model doll as part of the iconic fashion toy's 65th anniversary celebration and the company’s summer of sports initiative. Well-played. 👏⁣ •⁣ For more on how sports legends like Sue are changing the women's game, subscribe to our free, 3x-weekly sports biz newsletter: https://lnkd.in/emchRpTE 💌 • The five-time Olympic gold medalist is joining nine other female athletes — including tennis player Venus Williams, soccer player Christine Sinclair and gymnast Alexa Moreno — to get their own Role Model dolls as part of the initiative. However, Bird's doll is the only one available for purchase. 👀⁣ •⁣ Bird said growing up there weren’t any Barbie dolls dedicated to one specific athlete and that she hopes her doll will inspire young girls to pursue their athletic potential. “This is going to have that impact of ‘seeing it and being it,’ ” she says. We couldn't agree more. 🙌⁣ • When it comes to seeing it and being it, Bird is quite the inspiration off the court as well. Toward the end of her illustrious pro basketball career, Bird began spending more time in the boardroom and diversifying her portfolio. She's the chief strategy offer at Deep Blue Sports + Entertainment, where she became the women's sports-focused agency's first athlete partner. Gotta love that. 🦈 • Bird also co-launched athlete-driven media company TOGETHXR in 2021 with Jessica Robertson and fellow Olympians Alex Morgan, Simone Manuel, and Chloe Kim. Together, they've already changed the women's game through targeted messaging, such as those "Everyone Watches Women's Sports" tees that everyone seems to own. 👕 • TOGETHXR recently partnered with Klarna and Sports Innovation Lab to present the "Rep Her" report shedding light on the overlooked women's sports merch market, which also involved TOGETHXR ambassador Ali Krieger. All the stars. 🌟 • In 2022, Bird teamed up with fiancée Megan Rapinoe to launch A Touch More, a media production company that centers storytelling on women athletes. In June, Bird and Rapinoe announced they'd executive produce a docuseries on the lives on women athletes and they'd relaunch their podcast, A Touch More Live, this summer. (Power) couple goals. 🥰 • And then there's the fact that Bird became a part owner in her beloved Storm in April after purchasing a minority stake in the team. It's more than a full-circle moment: Investments like Bird's are what make things like the Storm's new $64M practice facility possible, which in turn bolsters the organization's valuation. Last we checked, the Storm are only behind the Las Vegas Aces in terms of team valuation ($135M vs. $140M), per Sportico. Not for long with savvy investors like Sue on their squad. 👀

And with Canada's magical run at the Copa America, how could we not? 🥰⚽ • 18.7M Canadians — 48% of Canada's population — tuned into TSN - The Sports Network - Canada's Summer of Soccer, featuring complete coverage of the Copa America and UEFA men's Euro. Notably, Copa America's overall average audience was up by nearly +700% (!!!) compared to the 2021 tournament. 📈 • The CanMNT, namely, broke NUMEROUS audience records in their first, history-making run. They finished fourth-place in their inaugural appearance, culminating with an average of 1.9M viewers during the third place game against Uruguary — the second-highest (!!!) average Copa America game on record. 👀 • The most-watched Copa game on record in Canada, you ask? Canada's semifinal against Lionel Messi and Argentina, which attracted an average audience of 2.8M viewers. 🤩 • "As the Canadian men’s national team captivated the country with an inspiring run to the Third Place game in the COPA AMERICA tournament, and a spectacular EURO culminating with Spain being crowned champions, we witnessed record ratings and massive fan engagement across all platforms," said Shawn Redmond, VP, Bell Media Sports. "We look forward to continuing this momentum with our complete coverage of next summer’s UEFA WOMEN’S EURO 2025." 👏 #thegist

Now that's Pixel perfect. 🤩 • After signing recent WNBA (Women's National Basketball Association) and National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) partnerships, Google wanted to further support athletes in these leagues. So it worked with rights licensing agency OneTeam Partners to form a historic partnership yesterday with the WNBPA (Women’s National Basketball Players Association), National Women's Soccer League Players Association (NWSLPA), and USWNTPA that makes Google Pixel the official mobile phone of the unions and the sponsor of marquee union events. 🤝📱 • For more sports biz wins like this one, subscribe to our free, 3x-weekly sports biz newsletter here: https://lnkd.in/eYH82ywF • Beyond this, Google Pixel will also serve as the official content capture partner of the players’ associations and sponsor the WNBPA Google Pixel Players’ Lounge at All-Star Weekend, the NWSL Players’ Party, and the USWNTPA Players’ Ball. 👀 • Each event will feature the Pixel Player Portrait Studios — a VIP suite for athletes to hang out, relax, and glow up before being treated to professional photo shoots using Pixel’s AI–powered camera. This includes the second year of the WNBA Players’ Lounge, which has been expanded to involve other brands like L'Oréal Groupe, Def Jam Recordings, and BODYARMOR Sports Nutrition. 👏 • Men’s unions like the NFLPA benefit from myriad sponsorships with Fortune 500 companies like Microsoft and PepsiCo, but this is still new to the women’s sports space. Notching the first deal involving all three organizations is historic and highlights the overlap between women’s basketball’s and soccer’s shared mission of advancing the game for everyone. ✊ • OneTeam told The GIST yesterday that after the success of last year’s WNBPA Players’ Lounge, Google came to the company asking how they could further invest in athlete stories in basketball and beyond. Since OneTeam represents multiple pro athlete unions, getting all three on a deal was an easy layup.🏀 • Women’s sports are still playing catch up in terms of reach and size, but deals like this allow orgs to combine forces to cross-pollinate audiences and boost their reach. Plus, joint collabs like this make it easier for brands to make one big purchase across entities. 💰

More brands officially investing in the W? You know we love to see it! 🤩⁣ • For more sports biz wins like this one, subscribe to our free, 3x-weekly sports biz newsletter here: https://lnkd.in/eYH82ywF •⁣ New Balance and the WNBA (Women's National Basketball Association) today announced a multiyear agreement aimed at elevating women’s sports and inspiring the next generation of fans and athletes alike. 🙌⁣ •⁣ This new relationship with the WNBA will enable New Balance to expand its presence in basketball, alongside an organization renowned for advocating for women’s sports. The deal tips off midway through the season, just ahead of WNBA All-Star 2024, coinciding with the arrival of one of the most exciting draft classes, which will help in further amplifying women’s basketball like never before. 🤝⁣ •⁣ The partnership will establish New Balance as an official partner of the WNBA. Together, both brands will continue to push the boundaries of sport and transform the game through grassroots initiatives aimed at growing youth basketball and authentic community engagement. 📈⁣ •⁣ As part of the deal, New Balance will create authentic broadcast, digital and retail content featuring New Balance athlete and WNBA rookie Cameron Brink. Cameron, the second-overall selection in the WNBA Draft 2024 presented by State Farm, signed an NIL deal with New Balance in 2023. ⁣ •⁣ The partnership enables Cameron to continue empowering young athletes to fearlessly overcome obstacles and pursue their dreams, both in basketball and in life. 💪⁣ •⁣ Who else is stoked for this partnership? 🙋♀️

Moms who get it, get it. 💪 • Former Olympian and Track Star Allyson Felix has announced a partnership with Pampers Professional to launch the first-ever nursery at the Paris 2024 - Comité d'organisation des Jeux Olympiques et Paralympiques de 2024 Olympic Village. 🏅 • For more news on how athlete moms are changing the game, subscribe to our 3x-weekly, forever-free sports business newsletter: https://lnkd.in/eS4zratU • Felix, an 11-time Olympic medalist and one of the most decorated track and field athletes of all time, is a proud mother of two who understands the difficulties athletes face balancing motherhood and athletics. 🏃♀️ • “I just knew how difficult it was to compete at the top level after I had my daughter… so when I joined the Athletes Commission of the [International Olympics Committee], I really wanted to be that voice for athlete moms, and just take away one less thing for them to worry about in the pressure of competition,” Felix said. 💬 • “Pampers Nursery”, which is set to debut at the heart of the Athletes’ Village Plaza, promises to offer a space for Olympic mothers to bond with and nurse their babies amid their competitions. Work-life balance for the win. 💖 • According to the International Olympic Committee – IOC and IOC Athletes’ Commission, the nursery is designed for children of diaper-wearing age. It will provide a comfortable and calm environment featuring private breastfeeding space, safe play areas, and changing facilities. 👶 • “I think it really tells women that you can choose motherhood and also be at the top of your game and not have to miss a beat,” Felix added. Call her momnipresent. 👏 • Felix has been teaming up with Pampers over the last few years to champion moms and babies all over the U.S. Last week, Pampers announced that it would donate 1M diapers to NICU families across the U.S. in partnership with Felix. And in 2022, Felix and Pampers committed $250K to support Black maternal healthcare and drive systemic change for Black moms. At the time, Felix spoke about how her own experience in giving birth to her daughter inspired her to advocate for other moms and raise awareness around maternal health disparities. Always an inspiration. ✨ • Felix continues to be a champion for women and moms with her shoe brand Saysh, which she launched in 2021 with her brother and business partner, Wes. The shoes are specifically formulated for women, and they've got a pretty unique return policy: If a Saysh customer sees their shoe size change due to pregnancy (which is common), they can get another pair in their new size free of charge. Supporting moms every step of the way. 👟

Now that's some genius marketing. 👏💡⁣ •⁣ Parity, Inc., the sponsorship platform dedicated to connecting brands with women athletes, helped land an especially delicious brand deal last week. Last Wednesday, the Minnesota Pork Board announced that synchronized diving duo Kassidy Cook and Sarah Bacon are joining Team Pork with the hashtag #CooknBacon. 🥓 • For more sports biz wins like this one, subscribe to our free, 3x-weekly sports biz newsletter here: https://lnkd.in/eYH82ywF •⁣ “Pardon the pun, but their sizzling hashtag is proving irresistible to brands with a relevant product or storyline,” Parity CEO Leela Srinivasan told The GIST on Sunday. “Kassidy and Sarah will be #CooknBacon for years to come and, since they train in Minneapolis, this partnership made sense all around.”⁣ •⁣ 🤝The partnership: As Team Pork’s newest members, the athletes will engage with social media followers, appear at community events, and make appearances on behalf of Minnesota Pork. Cook and Bacon will also promote pork products as part of the sponsorship.⁣ •⁣ The Minnesota Pork Board can benefit from the two divers’ social media reach, with Cook’s 109K Instagram followers and Bacon’s 17K giving the Pork Board’s 3K-account some added fat. 👀⁣ •⁣ 🙌The alignment: The pair boast perfect names for a sponsorship like this, but finding the right partner was key. Clever pun-inspired athlete marketing has seen success in the NIL space, where Iowa Pork Producers Association signed a similar deal with four Iowa State football players whose last names spelled “Purchase Moore Hamann Bacon.” And that’s not even Decoldest example.⁣ •⁣ Food brand partnerships with Olympic athletes are a tried and true advertising tradition (think Wheaties), but synchronized diving doesn’t generally have the biggest star names.⁣ •⁣ Srinivasan called this diving deal a “fun example of organizations leaning into a more diverse array of athletes,” noting that Parity helps brands “look beyond the usual suspects” in athlete partnerships. So much to savor. 😋⁣

An altcast refers to an alternative feed of a live sports game that features studio coverage and commentary, often from journalists and/or retired athletes — think the Bird & Taurasi Show. 🤩 • For more sports biz wins like this one, subscribe to our free, 3x-weekly sports biz newsletter here: https://lnkd.in/eYH82ywF • Following parent company Warner Bros. Discovery’s decision to add live men’s sports to HBO in October, revamped WBD-owned channel TruTV and HBO Max announced their first-ever USWNT alternative telecast (aka altcast) yesterday. LFG. ⚽ • WBD will host a special U.S. Soccer Altcast: Men in Blazers’ The Women’s Game during the USWNT’s July 16th friendly against Costa Rica. The altcast, which inked Marriott’s SpringHill Suites as a presenting sponsor, will air on Max and TruTV, both of which have leveled up their sports programming in the last year. 📺 The altcast, which will be the first on linear TV involving the USWNT, has tapped retired world champ Sam Mewis and Men In Blazers Media Network founder Roger Bennett to host. Mewis joined MIB as editor-in-chief of its women’s soccer vertical “The Women’s Game” in January. 🙌 • Women’s sports fans are famously loyal, and their altcasts will likely fare better because of it. Bird and Taurasi’s women’s March Madness final altcast drew 1.4M viewers, the most for the championship game in the show’s three-year history, making it the second most-watched altcast for a college event on ESPN. Can’t help it. 😌