No Longer a Supporting Act: The Rise of Women’s Sports
Why women’s sports dominated the media landscape this spring, and how PR helped fuel the hype.
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🏀 No Longer a Supporting Act: The Rise of Women’s Sports
Who runs the world? Whether you’re a sports fan or a Swiftie, the media landscape has been undeniably dominated by female powerhouses. Perceptions of women’s sports in particular have shifted, largely thanks to Iowa basketball alum and the Indiana Fever’s No. 1 overall draft pick, Caitlin Clark. Between historic viewership for both the women’s NCAA championship game and the WNBA draft, more mainstream audiences than ever are tuning in and finally giving women’s athletics the attention it deserves after decades of neglect.
So, what does this have to do with comms?
While at Axios’ TN50: Business of Women's Sports Summit last month, our team took note of the sentiment from top athletes and execs alike: Recent buzz has been momentous for women’s sports. This isn’t a “moment;” it’s a movement that’s just beginning. Taking the stage, US soccer legend Megan Rapinoe pointed to continued investment from media deals and greater in-depth coverage as critical to further progress in public perception of women’s sports. She stressed that media companies are finally beginning to see the real value of giving women’s entertainment the attention it deserves, and no longer just for the sake of political correctness.
To Rapinoe’s point, earned media is one of the most impactful and cost-effective methods to spark a movement. The Clark media frenzy spread awareness beyond NCAA women’s basketball’s typical fanbase, causing even the most casual sports fans to repeatedly tune in and Iowa’s game attendance to skyrocket. The next generation of audiences is hooked by personalities – whether it’s drama between players or coaches, unique backstories, or romantic relationships – as we saw when Clark initially gained attention last season thanks to media coverage of her rivalry with former LSU star Angel Reese. These off-court storylines also provide an opportunity for athletes’ narratives to expand beyond sports pubs, and therefore reach broader, less sports-savvy audiences. Nearly every outlet under the sun documented Clark’s success this season in some fashion, from a feature in Vogue on how she’s made culture reporter Emma Specter “appreciate women’s basketball for the first time” to a dedicated episode of the New York Times’ podcast, The Daily.
Media execs are taking note of the business and audience attraction opportunities in women’s sports. Investment in women’s athletics is stronger than ever, as we’ve seen with The National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) monumental four-year TV rights deal with Amazon, CBS, ESPN, and Scripps, worth $240 million. Rachel Epstein, ESPN’s VP Marketing, Live Sports and Audience Expansion, said onstage that the deal is already helping ESPN attract younger audiences. For the upcoming Paris Olympics, more media companies are leveraging women talent and commentators – from Peacock tapping ‘Call Her Daddy’ host Alex Cooper, to Shawn Johnson East joining Yahoo Sports as a correspondent, and more.
As brands and media companies work to reach the next generation of consumers, investing in women’s entertainment has proven to be the hottest new avenue. However, as we’ve seen with Clark’s WNBA rookie salary and the disparity of advertising prices when comparing women’s and men’s sports, this movement is nowhere near the finish line. The Wall Street Journal reported that while the women’s NCAA tournament was the clear winner in terms of viewership, its TV rights deal was a meager $6.5 million compared to the men’s $873 million. Next season, a new deal allocates about $65 million a year to the women’s championship, marking major progress but still nowhere near the men’s game’s numbers.
While 2024 has broken barriers for female athletes, it’s important to avoid getting lost behind rose-colored glasses. We’re only beginning to scratch the surface, and we’ve got a long way to go. Media companies’ continued investment and comprehensive coverage of women’s sports is critical to ensuring these athletes’ stories are told and given the platform they deserve.
📈 The Wrap Report
🤖 In digital media & tech…
Congress officially passed the TikTok ban – so what’s next? The law gives ByteDance about nine months to arrange a sale to an approved US buyer, and if it fails to do so, TikTok will be banned from US app stores. TikTok leadership vowed that the social media platform will challenge the new law on First Amendment grounds. TikTok could also wait out the results of November's presidential election in the hopes that whichever party takes control has a change of heart on the matter.
On Thursday, Sony Pictures and Apollo Global Management submitted a $26 billion cash offer for Paramount Global. Under the new offer’s terms, Sony would serve as the majority shareholder and Apollo would take a minority stake without operational control.
Vice’s Refinery29 has found a home – Essence’s parent company, Sundial Media Group has agreed to buy the women's lifestyle company.
A revival of print media? Axios’ Sara Fischer reported that magazines are making a surprise comeback as a marketing tool and advertising opportunity. Nylon is releasing its first print edition since going fully digital in 2017, Complex’s new owners are rumored to relaunch print editions, and Minute Media is continuing Sports Illustrated’s print publishing, to name a few.
LinkedIn has officially entered the gaming business. Both mobile app and desktop users can now play one of three different games — Pinpoint, Queens, and Crossclimb – once per day, following in the footsteps of the New York Times’ uber-successful gaming model.
🎮 In gaming & esports…
For the first time, India’s Maharashtra government acknowledged the success of local esports players who participated in the Asian Games 2022. The proclamation not only included nearly $12,000 USD in awards per player, but marked a rare occurrence of one of India’s state governments celebrating global esports achievements similar to how it would recognize traditional athletes.
Gamer-first social networking platform Discord is introducing ads to users’ servers – a first for the company since launching in 2015. Instead of traditional banner ads, Discord is serving users themed “challenges” in partnership with game publishers, inviting gamers to stream their gameplay or complete in-game objectives.
League of Legends publisher Riot Games ended its lengthy, public legal dispute with Mobile Legends: Bang Bang developer MOONTON Games over alleged usage of Riot’s IP. Since the legal battle began, both League of Legends and Mobile Legends: Bang Bang have become leading Massive Online Battle Arena (MOBA) esports titles on PC and mobile, respectively.
Esports’s long-running publisher ownership model seems to be on the way out as game developers are instead leaning on third party organizers more and more. In an effort to increase the scale of ecosystems and decrease expenditures, companies like ESL FACEIT Group and BLAST are taking on a larger share of esports, including creating new footholds amongst massively-popular titles like Overwatch and Brawl Stars.
Blizzard is reconsidering its approach to in-person gaming events in 2024 – notably with the recent cancellation of its marquee event BlizzCon 2024. While the company didn’t offer many details as to why the event itself was canceled, it did signal a shift towards expanding its presence at other marquee gaming events like DreamHack and Gamescom.
🗞 What We’re Working On
Navigating layoffs requires more than crisis management—it calls for a strategic approach rooted in empathy and transparency. In her latest on Forbes, our Founder & CEO, Jennifer Stephens Acree, shares valuable tips for navigating these situations with sensitivity and proactive preparation. (Forbes)
Yahoo Finance announced a new premium experience, including a focus on premium ads and a tiered subscription model that caters to all types of investors. By cutting the number of on-site ads by 40% in November, Yahoo Finance’s ad performance has improved, with click-through rates nearly doubling. (Digiday)
Counter-Strike 2 has one of the most vibrant, long-standing esports fanbases in the world – and it’s in large part from leaders like ESL FACEIT Group. Veteran Counter-Strike esports architect Michal Blicharz spoke to what’s contributed to its longevity – and what North America can do to bring the region to new heights. (Sports Business Journal)
Following U2’s 40-show run in Sphere, Phish was the next artist to wow audiences in the fully immersive Las Vegas venue. (The Verge)
Sarah Bucksey, an animation student and aspiring game designer from the Arts University Bournemouth, shared what it’s like to have her design chosen to be transformed into the newest playable character in Subway Surfers. (Pocket Gamer)
Mobile esports is reaching new heights in 2024. ESL FACEIT Group’s Sam Braithwaite spoke to Digiday on how circuits like the Snapdragon Pro Series are creating new competitive opportunities by leaning on mobile, the world’s most accessible gaming platform. (Digiday)
Yahoo Finance a multifaceted deal with Morning Brew to power the ‘Markets’ section of Morning Brew’s daily newsletter, as well as air ‘Morning Brew Daily,’ a daily talk show that covers the latest news on business and the economy, through its connected TV channel and associated platforms. (MediaPost)
EA’s premier Battle Royale esports circuit the Apex Legends Global Series has returned to North America for the first time since Year 2 of competition with its Split 1 Playoffs. The competition welcomes 40 of the world’s best squads as they compete for the lion’s share of the $1 million prize pool in the first in-person event of the year. (Destructoid)
Lunar X and Theorist revealed a new apparel line, Lumen, created to celebrate online fandoms and internet culture. The line debuted at last week’s Creators in Fashion, a first-of-its-kind live-streamed fashion show co-hosted by Theorist founder MatPat and Style Theory host Amy Roberts. (Tubefilter)
Yahoo struck a deal with Kroger for advertisers to target Kroger audiences through Yahoo's DSP. (Adweek)
The capstone of Year 2 of the Snapdragon Pro Series, Mobile Masters crowned a pair of global esports champions after three days of fast-paced competition in Sao Paulo, Brazil. (IGN)
Thank You! 👋
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