Sports Business

Happy Wednesday!

Sign Up

The GIST: There’s a new kid pro women’s soccer league on the block. Yesterday, the USL Super League announced its intention to apply for Division I status, meaning it could become a domestic rival to the NWSL when play begins in 2024.

The landscape: The Super League is one of two women’s soccer leagues under the USL’s umbrella, which also includes several lower-tier men’s leagues. It was expected to apply for Division II status and serve as a semi-pro league like its male equivalent, the USL Championship, but instead opted for full professional status.

The details: Eight markets are already booked for the Super League’s 2024 debut — Charlotte, Dallas–Fort Worth, Lexington, Phoenix, Spokane, Tampa Bay, Tucson, and Washington, D.C. (a team backed by MLS’ D.C. United). The league hopes to add up to four more clubs to the list for its inaugural season.

• The league will operate on international soccer’s typical fall-to-spring calendar, won’t stage a draft, and plans to offer competitive salaries. It has also hired Octagon, Sportfive, and Legends to handle media rights and partnerships.

• Five more cities are earmarked for future Super League teams — Chattanooga, Indianapolis, Jacksonville (co-owned by Tim Tebow), Madison, and Oakland. They mean business.

The why: President Amanda Vandevoort believes the U.S. is big enough to support two women’s soccer leagues, and the USL’s pre-professional W-League proves the demand is there. W-League teams in Minnesota, Oakland, and Detroit attracted comparable crowds to the NWSL’s NC Courage, NJ/NY Gotham FC, and Orlando Pride last year.

• It also has USL backing, which has successfully developed impressive followings in small but mighty markets for a handful of men’s teams like New Mexico United and Sacramento Republic FC.

Zooming out: As we covered in April’s Sports Biz Breakfast, capitalizing on local fervor remains an area of improvement for pro women’s sports leagues and might be the Super League’s first avenue for success. The league could also be a destination for investors who may feel priced out as NWSL entry fees surpass $50M.

• It’s unclear if the Super League and the NWSL will compete for similar audiences, with the latter playing it cool so far — an NWSL spokesperson said it welcomes “more opportunities for women to play professional soccer in the United States.” Preach.

The GIST: Women’s sports are the moment. In NYC this week, Disney and Fox dedicated a portion of their annual upfronts to headlining women’s sports events, where they pitched prospective advertisers on the perks of scoring inventory.

The details: The aforementioned Williams opened Disney’s upfront on Tuesday by announcing a docuseries chronicling her iconic career that will be co-produced by her Nine Two Six Productions and Tom Brady’s 199 Productions and Religion of Sports. The WNBA’s Breanna Stewart and LSU star Angel Reese were also on hand to chat about the rise of women’s basketball.

• A day earlier, Fox capped off its upfront with a segment on its upcoming FIFA Women’s World Cup coverage, led by broadcaster Erin Andrews and USWNT World Cup champion Carli Lloyd. World domination.

Zooming out: Advertisers are taking increased interest in women’s sports amid a changing media landscape. Sports are TV’s best-performing programming and could officially usher in the streaming era, while also being one of the few entertainment sectors that likely won’t be disrupted by the ongoing Writers Guild of America strike.

• Neither Disney nor Fox addressed the strike, though it’s becoming increasingly hard to ignore — writers and their allies staged protests right outside many of this week’s upfront presentations. Pay your writers like you should.

Yesterday, the WNBA found that the Las Vegas Aces violated the league’s Respect in the Workplace policies but couldn’t substantiate a separate claim that the team broke financial rules. Las Vegas lost its 2025 first-round draft pick and head coach Becky Hammon was suspended two games for trading Dearica Hamby because of her pregnancy.

• The WNBPA said that the punishment “misses the mark,” arguing that taking away a draft pick “penalizes a future player by removing an opportunity to compete for a job.”

Washington Spirit owner Michele Kang will become the majority owner of Olympique Lyonnais Féminin (Lyon) on her way to launching a global women’s soccer organization. She aims to invest in team infrastructure, share resources between clubs, and expand her portfolio — she’s eyeing teams in Europe, Central and South America, and Asia.

• One team that won’t be a part of her network? Seattle-based OL Reign, which currently shares a co-owner with Lyon — OL Groupe. The Reign is already on the market, and OL Groupe hopes to fetch $54M for the club. Cha-ching.

The WNBA re-launched its app and website yesterday after 18 months of planning with Deloitte. WNBA League Pass will now be integrated into the app, and exclusive content will be available on both platforms, including player profiles and their impact on fashion and culture.

On Monday, France ditched plans to host the 2025 Rugby League World Cup after funding cuts meant holding the tournament wasn’t financially viable. New Zealand and Australia have thrown their hats in the ring to host the event, which will include women’s, men’s, youth, and wheelchair competitions. Scrum Down Under?

🎓 Spanx inked name, image, and likeness deals with more than 40 female student-athletes, who will promote the brand on Instagram and TikTok.

🏀 The WNBA’s Chicago Sky partnered with Opulence, a Black-owned beauty brand that includes the team’s Dana Evans as a minority investor.

⚽ The NWSL scored USA Today Sports Media Group as its official media partner and will provide the company with access to league sponsors.

🎟️ Women’s soccer is a hot ticket. The NWSL’s KC Current set its attendance record (13K) over the weekend, and June’s UEFA Women’s Champions League final is sold out at 34K.

📺 NBC Sports Washington will air a 30-minute pregame and postgame show for every Washington Mystics game, becoming the first local broadcaster to do so for a WNBA team.

💰 Serena Williams will serve as senior advisor to newly-launched business advisory firm Consello Group.

🎥 The WNBA dropped their “More Than Game” campaign, narrated by hip-hop star Coi Leray.

Looking for more of The GIST? Hit play on our twice-weekly podcast, The GIST of It. Hosts Ellen Hyslop and Stephanie Rotz are sports fans, feminists, and childhood besties. They bring a fresh, female perspective on trending sports news that feels just like the chatter around your brunch table. Tune in to The GIST of It wherever you listen to your podcasts.