Sports Business

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The GIST: Overtime — the youth sports brand that’s taken over social media — is following up the success of its Overtime Elite (OTE) pro youth basketball league with another initiative. On Monday, the company announced Overtime Select, a high school girls basketball league hoping to establish the next generation of greats. Class is in session.

The details: The four-week league tips off next summer at Atlanta’s OTE Arena, Overtime’s 103K-square-foot facility. Eight teams composed of elite high school talent will compete in a regular season, playoffs, and finals, along with a Takeover Weekend that includes an All-Star game, a Queen of the Court competition and a three-point contest.

• Top 2025 and 2026 recruits, including Aaliyah Chavez, Jazzy Davidson, and twins Mia and Mya Pauldo, have already committed to Select. So have big-name advisors like Breanna Stewart, Zia Cooke, Kahleah Copper, and Flau'jae Johnson.

The company: Since 2016, Overtime has gone from mere sports spectator to a disruptor driving industry growth. Today, Overtime oversees merch and film divisions to promote its men’s basketball, football and boxing leagues. OTE, which just inked a major Adidas deal, has already sent 15 players to the NBA in two years.

• Overtime plans to mix business and ball for Select as well, including an on-site business summit during Takeover Weekend, plus media and public relations training and financial literacy mentorship for players during the season.

The context: This is an on-brand move for Overtime: its WBB account’s 2.7M Instagram and TikTok followers make it the most-followed women’s sports property, while 2023’s Takeover drew over 65M views. Getting girls under the bright lights has tangible effects, which the aforementioned Johnson said prepped her to win a championship with LSU.

• Further proof that Select is built for women, by women is the fact that it’s not directly copying OTE’s pro pipeline model: women want to benefit from college exposure and name, image, and likeness (NIL) opportunities, which Overtime can amplify with its collaborative, sponsor-driven brand.

The future: Overtime proves basketball is a young person’s game: from Gen Z fans to Gen Z players, the youth are starting to change the game. Even with NCAA NIL concessions and record viewership for the W and college, there’s still lots of money and youth development opportunities left on the table. The kids are going to be alright.

A new Wasserman study revealed that women’s sports coverage comprises an estimated 15% of sports media coverage, largely driven by the growth of streaming and social media. An average of 26% of streamers’ coverage since 2018 was related to women’s sports, with 18% of social posts dedicated to the industry in 2022.

• But there’s still a long way to go: Despite half of U.S. competitions being played by women, the 15% drops sharply to 8% once collegiate play is subtracted. A failing grade.

Las Vegas Aces head coach (HC) Becky Hammon and Connecticut Sun HC Stephanie White are two of ESPN’s latest hires for its expanded NBA coverage team. This not only builds on Hammon’s ESPN position last year, but continues a trend of W analysts like Candace Parker and Chiney Ogwumike spitting fire in the booth during the offseason.

New details were revealed last week about the NWSL’s sprawling media rights deal, which is reportedly valued in the low eight figures. Although ESPN and Scripps coverage has yet to take shape, CBS will retain semifinals and championship matches, while Amazon Prime will tout a “Game of the Week” package.

• NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman described the nine-month negotiation process as the “single most important thing” for NWSL financial growth.

The PWHL revealed its official logo ahead of its inaugural season, and the pro women’s hockey league is being intentional with its image. Everything from the color scheme to the crossed hockey sticks symbolizes something important to the new league.

🏆 The NBA is stealing a page from the WNBA’s playbook: Seattle and Las Vegas are favored for NBA expansion. Come join the championship culture, fellas.

💰 Iowa superstar Caitlin Clark joins Arike Ogunbowale and Napheesa Collier as the latest women’s basketball phenom to sign with Excel Sports Management.

🏀 The San Antonio Spurs plan to leverage its Millenial and Gen Z–fueled ticket craze with the April hiring of Raghavi Nimmala, a full-time behavioral economist. Wemby-mania is out of this world.

🏓 Rapper Lil Wayne invested in Major League Pickleball’s Texas Ranchers, and will also serve as a strategic advisor.

🎨 Nike collaborated with London-based artist Joy Yamusangie to design Colin Kaepernick’s new capsule collection, which drops Friday.

🛍️ Speaking of Nike, the brand reigns supreme as Gen Z’s preferred footwear and clothing brand. Get in zoomer, we’re going shopping.

🏎️ A$AP Rocky joins Rihanna at Puma as the new creative director for its F1 division.