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The GIST: Nothing for buyers to beware of here. Yesterday, the LPGA launched a line of affordable golf clubs, accessories, and apparel for female beginners and juniors. The gear will be available exclusively at Walmart and is likely central to the tour’s latest growth strategy.

The details: Golf clubs for junior and adult beginners are now on shelves at over 1K Walmarts around the country and the company’s online store. Shoppers can also purchase LPGA–branded bags and clothing, including dresses and visors. Fit check.

• An LPGA spokesperson told The GIST that Walmart was involved throughout, from design to sourcing and distribution. The line expands the brand’s commitment to the tour, which includes its role as title sponsor of the LPGA’s Arkansas event.

The context: Grassroots development is having a moment in golf — women and girls are hitting the links at record rates — and across the industry. Deloitte projects that sports organizations will pour money into grassroots programs as part of their DEI plans, which should keep participation rates high for years to come.

• Deloitte also anticipates that sports bodies will leverage tech in their grassroots strategy, which could “boost commercial initiatives and drive more direct to consumer relationship.”

Zooming out: An affordable clothing line touches on one of golf’s largest barriers to entry (high costs) and is an authentic way to boost brand affinity through DEI projects. It also signals that the LPGA believes grassroots golf can fuel its growth, à la the U.S. Tennis Association’s Growing the Game fund. Started from the bottom.

The GIST: DAZN’s free UEFA Women’s Champions League (UWCL) broadcasts are paying dividends. The streamer published a survey yesterday showing that its two-year experiment broadened the soccer tourney’s audience and increased sponsorship interest before it paywalls games next season.

The audience: Since 2021, DAZN’s YouTube channel gained 362K subscribers, where fans in 230 territories watched free UWCL coverage. Spain, the U.S., France, Germany, Indonesia, the U.K., Italy, Mexico, and Chile boasted the highest viewership figures, and 65% of viewers were aged 18 to 34, while 83% of all viewers were men.

The survey: A whopping 80% of fans surveyed said DAZN’s broadcasts increased their knowledge of women players, while 40% said they’re more interested in attending a women’s match. For 46% of respondents, the UWCL content “made them like women’s soccer more,” and 18% said it changed their views of the women’s game.

• Their new fandom also changed search habits — Google searches for “UWCL” rose sixfold YoY, and search queries for the competition persisted throughout the season. Move on up.

The impact: Clubs and players are feeling the love from fans and sponsors alike. Over half of clubs surveyed said DAZN’s coverage positively impacted their revenue, and 77% noticed increased sponsor interest. Players also said their social media followings grew, as did demand from other clubs and brands.

• Teams did sacrifice fees from domestic deals since DAZN holds global rights to the UWCL, but a growing international fanbase means new revenue streams for teams in smaller cities like France’s Olympique Lyonnais and Germany’s VfL Wolfsburg.

Zooming out: Through its uniquely free broadcasts, DAZN successfully increased the UWCL’s value and provided a case study in launching an untested property. The experiment will also likely help the UWCL realize its financial potential — the commercial value of European women’s soccer could reach $698M in 10 years. Kicking (gr)ass.

The Las Vegas Aces’ season-opening win over the Seattle Storm is now the most-watched WNBA opening weekend game on ESPN’s networks in 11 years, with 684K tuning in on Saturday for a 10% increase from last year’s average audience on ABC. Overall, ESPN’s weekend slate averaged 589K viewers, up 199% (!!!) YoY.

• ESPN tipped off its WNBA schedule with Brittney Griner’s return on Friday, which averaged 683K viewers and peaked at 1M, meaning average viewership for the opening game jumped 103% YoY. Starting on a high.

On Monday, the French Open partnered with Bodyguard.ai to provide tech that protects players against online harassment. Players can connect the AI to their social media accounts to filter comments and block accounts that post abusive messages on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, TikTok, and Discord.

Fanatics bought PWCC Marketplace on Monday, bolstering the retail company’s collectibles portfolio. The new acquisition will reportedly help launch Fanatics Live, an upcoming commerce platform for collectors. The site is expected to go live later this year and will initially focus on trading cards. Literally holding all the cards.

The U.S. House of Representatives will reportedly see a “discussion draft” of a name, image, and likeness (NIL) bill authored by Republican congressman Gus Bilirakis. It includes the creation of a new regulatory body, safeguards from retaliation for student-athletes, and a provision that says players aren’t eligible for employee status.

🏀 State Farm will serve as the title sponsor for ION’s Friday night coverage of the WNBA, which begins this week.

🏟️ The NWSL’s NJ/NY Gotham FC is on pace to sell at least 11K tickets for its June 4th match, a ticket sales record for the club.

🏆 Pepsi will integrate its sustainability initiatives into June’s UWCL final, where returnable packaging, trays, and cups will be available to fans. Score.

⛳ LPGA No. 38 Andrea Lee was unveiled as a brand ambassador for Korea Ginseng Corp at a signing ceremony in Southern California last week.

⚽ Shady Grove Fertility is now the official fertility partner of the NWSL’s Washington Spirit.

🪧 Several WNBPA members joined their WGA counterparts to picket outside Warner Bros.’ California HQ on Monday.

ICYMI, last year we relaunched our job board, complete with GIST-approved roles across the sports industry. It’s your one-stop shop for finding new roles or the right candidates for your roster. Check out our curated list and submit your own openings today.