Sports Business

Hello!

Sign Up

The GIST: The Women’s College World Series (WCWS) is hitting it out of the park. The NCAA softball competition reached new viewership highs when Oklahoma scored its third consecutive championship on Thursday, strengthening the tournament’s business bonafides along the way.

The details: Game 2 of the championship series peaked at 2.3M viewers and averaged 1.9M on ESPN, up 7% YoY. The two-game series’ average viewership was 1.6M, down slightly from 2021’s record-breaking 1.85M average viewers. Both games also generated more than 26K posts and 91M impressions on Twitter.

• Last week’s figures cap off an impressive 2023 WCWS that garnered increased interest in earlier rounds, averaging 969K viewers through the semifinals and setting a Session 1 attendance record of 12.3K. Grand slam.

The context: College softball is surging despite a jam-packed June sports schedule. The WCWS competes for airtime with the NBA Finals and NHL’s Stanley Cup Final, but its consistently strong TV turnout earned better time slots on ESPN and wasn’t far off from its competition — Thursday’s NHL game averaged 2.69M viewers.

• The WCWS is peaking at a pivotal time — ESPN’s current $500M deal to air the tournament, along with nearly 30 other NCAA championships (including women’s March Madness), expires next year.

Zooming out: While the NCAA contemplates selling the March Madness rights on their own, it may be worth exploring if the WCWS could also fetch a major fee solo. The softball competition likely won’t command as much as its basketball counterpart (which could go for up to $112M), but its value is undoubtedly rising.

• ESPN is well aware of the WCWS’ potential — if it retains the rights, the broadcaster hopes to increase coverage and tell more human-interest stories to further compel viewers. Bases loaded.

The GIST: The NY Liberty just scored an impactful partnership. On Friday, the WNBA superteam inked a deal with Shady Grove Fertility (SGF), becoming the latest women’s sports team to help amplify fertility information and resources.

The details: Together, SGF and the Liberty will raise awareness about infertility and fertility preservation and tipped off their partnership at yesterday’s Pride Game. The company was the game’s presenting partner and provided on-site educational materials including resources for LGBTQ+ couples and individuals. Happy Pride, indeed.

The context: Fertility partnerships are having a moment. Family planning services were added to the WNBA’s 2020 collective bargaining agreement, while a handful of NWSL teams recently struck deals with fertility companies to aid players and staff. The Liberty’s deal is similar to the NWSL’s Chicago Red Stars’ agreement with the Fertility Centers of Illinois, which offers relevant resources to fans.

Zooming out: Alliances between women athletes and fertility companies are now evolving into wide-ranging partnerships that address pay and workplace inequity for athletes and their fans. Increased resources can ease the financial burden of family planning and help combat stereotypes that women need to step away from work to have children.

• The pattern may also open up a brand new sponsorship category in the process. The LPGA is currently on the hunt for corporate partners to help foot the bill for important, athlete-focused expenses like healthcare. Players are paramount.

The WNBPA called for a robust charter flight plan after the Phoenix Mercury’s Brittney Griner was harassed at a Dallas airport on Saturday. The WNBA allegedly allows the team to fly private and with security for Griner’s safety, but a source said the league didn’t approve these accommodations for every game. *raises eyebrow*

• Despite expanding its charter program for this season, Engelbert insists that the WNBA isn’t ready to consistently fund private planes. Some teams are taking action, however — the Atlanta Dream will now travel with security.

Crypto.com shut down its institutional exchange in the U.S. on Friday, but sports partners can keep their crypto winter coats in the closet. The decision won’t impact its sports sponsorships, including naming rights to LA’s Crypto.com Arena, home of the WNBA’s Sparks.

Last week, New York state passed a bill that would make it illegal for the NCAA to punish athletic department employees for facilitating name, image, and likeness (NIL) deals. State laws carry more power than NCAA rules, which only adds to the puzzle of regulating NIL deals based on varying legislation in each state. If you can’t make it here…

You’ve been following how Angel City FC has been shaking up the sports biz landscape, and now we want to give you an opportunity to see the magic happen up close with a chance to win a three-day all-expenses paid trip for two to LA to see ACFC and the Sparks IRL. What dreams are made of.