Trailblazing Sports Group

#Teamworkmakesthedreamwork Even though it's been a month since we officially launched the #TrailblazingMarketplace at the first ever Women's Sports Club Newfront with our partners at Sports Innovation Lab, it still stops me in my tracks when I see these headlines in the trade pubs I have read for the last 20 years (shout out to Mollie Cahillane Sports Business Journal) about what we are building. I know that these moments don't happen without #teamwork and #trust - which is why it's tonight's #trailblazingtuesday focus. Our idea was not overly complex: Capitalize on our experience and relationships over the last 20 years in sports, media, and partnership sales to curate a collection of unique women's sports assets across the media, sponsorship, and athlete ecosystem; use the Sports Innovation Lab Audiences to drive scale and performance to those programs; and deliver exceptional value and impact for brands & their agency partners resulting in dramatic increases in ad spend against women's sports storytelling and live sports content. Seems simple right? But this idea doesn't work without the #trust of our Trailblazing Marketplace Partners (refresher on who they are with this fun video https://lnkd.in/gUmqTTJf) to represent & create assets together in our offering, as well as the continued support from brands and agencies who have leaned in, took meetings, and dedicated time to brainstorm and strategically plan with us. #trailblazers #partners #thankyou And finally - a late breaking announcement, Trailblazing Sports Group will be in Cannes and look forward to seeing all my old friends there! I've never been, but have heard enough of you all talk about your rose meetings over the years, so figured it was time to check it out and talk a little women's sports with you all...while sipping rose...#teamwork.

Where to begin with tonight's #trailblazingtuesday? Over the last 72 hours, it seems like every media outlet and on-air pundit has been consumed with the storylines around the W. I will leave it to the experts Sarah Spain, Cari Champion, and Chiney Ogwumike (who I suggest listening to their measured and thought provoking takes around the W) to commentate on Saturday's game and aftermath; and stick to what I know best from my 20+ years in sports marketing, which is that storylines fuel ratings, and the popularity of teams, leagues, and players. Think of a world in which we didn't have iconic sport storylines around Billie & Bobby, Magic & Bird, the "Bad Boys" in Detroit, Pat Summitt’s dominance, America's Team in Dallas, the Williams sisters, The Curse of the Billy Goat, USA vs Russia at Lake Placid, The Great One in LA, The Showtime Lakers, The 99'ers, Mary Lou's perfect 10, Chrissie & Martina, Pistol Pete and Caitlin Clark, Steph & Sabrina, and the list goes on and on. Those stories fueled movements, ignited change, and altered perceptions for new generations of athletes and fans. So let's all take a deep breath, exhale, and lean in. The stories have always been there in the W, and there is a lot more to come from this league and these elite athletes this season and beyond. Now to a few highlights we should all be paying attention to: 💥 Viewership peaked opening weekend of the WNBA on ABC at 1.9M viewers, which was was the most viewed opening weekend double header EVER on ABC - with 1.3M people staying for the Aces/Sparks game following the Fever/ Liberty Game 💥 Oklahoma is attempting a historic run as the first team to win 4 straight Women's College World Series titles as they take on Texas. As the 2 earlier round games on Sunday each averaged over 1.1M viewers, the WCWS starting tomorrow night on ESPN should outperform the men's college WS again this year. This game is sold out, and this is a red river rivalry you don't want to miss! 8pm ET on ESPN 💥 The US Gymnastics championship on NBC drew over 2.2M viewers on Sunday (3rd most watched program that day beating out the UFL on Fox) with Simone Biles securing her 9th title - who's ready to watch her shine at the Olympics in a month?!

#theglobalgame Tonight's #trailblazingtuesday focuses on the impact women's sports is having around the globe. With the first 50/50 Olympics in just 59 days, I did a little homework on the global opportunity that exist for brands who want to tell stories and partner with athletes, media properties, and leagues around the world. Here's what I learned: - 🏀 Kilmer Sports Ventures chairman Larry Tanenbaum is paying $115 million to bring the WNBA (Women's National Basketball Association) to Toronto. Tanenbaum is also the chairman and part owner of a Toronto-based sports conglomerate that owns the NBA's Raptors, NHL's Maple Leafs, MLS' Toronto FC, as well as other professional sports franchises in Canada. He's a businessman who see's the economic value of this W franchise in Toronto, and perhaps read the report by Canadian Women & Sport which found two in three Canadians between the ages of 13 and 65 — approximately 17 million people — consider themselves to be fans of women's sports. As Caroline Fitzgerald always says - It's just good business to be in the business of women's sports. ⚽ For the second year in a row, the FA Cup Final was played at a sold out Wembley Stadium featuring Man Utd vs Tottenham, AND a record crowd of 50K+ were at the UEFA Final a week later in Spain for Barcelona vs Lyon 🎾 🏏 🏄♀️ 🏌♀️ WTA set a global audience record of 1 BILLION in 2023 according to YouGov, and the World Surf League, the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA), and International Cricket Council continue to set global viewership and attendance records for their seasons/events/ championships. 📈 And on the athlete front, according to Google Trends the most searched female athlete was Iga Swiatek from Poland with 15.6 million searches in 2023. Most brands take a global approach to their men's sports sponsorships, yet only a select few have taken that global approach in women's sports... YET. Here's to betting that will change in '25 and beyond! 🌎 Trailblazing Sports Group #globaltrailblazingmarketplace

Where to find those coveted 18-34 yr olds this upfront season? Tonight's #trailblazingtuesday has your answer 👇 That's right people, the W draws a higher % of 18-34 yr olds than than NBA - and with a 64% male / 44% female audience split, it's proving to be a great place to reach both young MEN and WOMEN. Having sold the NBA for decades I saw what a draw a young multicultural audience was for marketers, but now this demo is harder to find with social & streaming such a big part of their lives - including how they consume sports. So as you plan your sports strategy this upfront season, don't sleep on the regular season WNBA to reach this audience AND make sure your plan has plenty of athlete driven content/sponsorship, unique social extensions, and team sponsorship elements. These opportunities exist in the Trailblazing Sports Group Marketplace, and from the YouGov Sport stats below, these fans are paying attention to the brands who invest in the W. In a closing note, I LOVE the partnership the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority - LVCVA did with EACH of the PLAYERS of the Las Vegas Aces 👏 #moreplayerpartnerships #trailblazing #vialasvegas https://lnkd.in/gJZuidEN