GIGA Market - Women's Sports Tracker
GIGA Market - Women's Sports Tracker
Key developments, market moves, and key milestones across the sports landscape
How Is the WNBA Reimagining the Sports Marketing Game?
With a boost from newer stars including Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese and Paige Bueckers, the WNBA has surged in popularity in recent years, providing a fresh opportunity for brands to invest in women’s sports.
Can the NWSL expand to 32 teams like the NFL? Should it?
It is impossible to ignore the parallels between expansion in the NWSL and MLS. The NWSL's rising valuations, growing demand and increased emphasis on building new facilities look like the MLS playbook on repeat.
A Record Breaking Year for Wimbledon's Prize Pot
The prize money for The Championships – Wimbledon's official name – in 2025 is a record £53,500,000 ($72,707,035). This Saturday and Sunday, the ladies' and men's singles champions will each be awarded £3,000,000 ($4,077,030).
Boston councilor wants investors to target Connecticut Sun
Calling for local sports fans and investors to target the Connecticut Sun, a Boston City Council member says his “very excited” colleagues will “absolutely” approve his resolution Wednesday to support the presence of a professional women’s basketball team in Boston.
Women's sports are booming. Why now?
"No moment in history has been what it is now with women's basketball, women's soccer, women's hockey, women's cricket, and there's the data now around the world, it has just never been there before," said Diana Matheson, founder of the Northern Super League (NSL).
WNBA Adds 3 Expansion Teanms At Record $250 Million Fee
The WNBA will add new expansion teams in Cleveland, Detroit and Philadelphia, according to a Monday morning league announcement. All three teams have ties to current NBA ownership groups.
e.l.f. Beauty reveals the blueprint to its culturally relevant beauty-sports partnerships
With more cosmetics brands betting on the power of the beauty-sports crossover, e.l.f. Beauty stands out among its peers as one of the original disruptors in this space...
Malala to invest in women’s sports through new initiative
NOBEL laureate and activist Malala Yousafzai has launched a new initiative to invest in women’s sports around the world.
How Gotham FC Is Building A New Playbook For Women’s Soccer
Gotham, which competes in the top-tier National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), is staking a claim in the boom of investment and attention in women’s professional sports...
Deep Blue Sports + Entertainment Partners with Chase and Alex Morgan
Chase is deepening its commitment to the women’s sports economy, not just with sponsorship dollars but with strategic brand alignment, talent partnerships, and ecosystem support.
Opinion: The Growth of Women's Sport is Changing the Game for Female Workers and Parents
The WNBA's Golden State Valkyries have taken flight and joined their Bay Area NWSL counterpart in helping guide the most recent spate of expansion in professional U.S. women's sport.
YouTube's Neal Mohan on Netflix Jabs, Sports Rights & the Creator Coup
At Cannes Lions, the CEO hits back at Sarandos comments, unpacks the platform's pod surge and AI opportunity, and what marketers must know about Gen Z.
US soccer supporters ‘more receptive’ to sponsors than general sports fans
New Nielsen report also highlights that soccer fans globally find sponsors of their favourite competitions more appealing compared with general population.
Report - US Women's Sports 2025: Give the Fans What They Want
New data and insights covering brand activations fans want most, the sports & channels delivering impact, and brand trust & purchase intent.
Monumental Sports Network Pioneers Interactivity for Women’s Sports
Monumental Sports Offers Integrated Sports Betting and Gamification Features for Mystics Games, in partnership with Play Anywhere and BetMGM, the Monumental+ app offers live betting odds and gamification features for Mystics games through ‘Monumental Game Center’.
2025 Global Sports Report
Key factors transforming sports and sponsorship - growth indicators, investments, and trending for women's sports & media
From Sports Bars To Big Deals, Women Athletes Are Winning—Yet Pay Gaps Persist
Summer 2025 is signaling a remarkable wave of milestones in women’s sports. After a strong-performing 2024 that saw equal representation between women and men at the Olympics for the first time in history, as well as standout college stars Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese making their much-anticipated WNBA debuts, women athletes have only continued to build on their momentum.
Private Equity Has Arrived in College Sports
Elevate’s $500 million fund already has two schools on board. Meanwhile, Boise State is on the verge of its own PE deal.
Despite no Caitlin Clark, Fever-Sky broadcast drew nearly 2 million viewers
When the WNBA national schedule was announced last March, one of the most potentially significant games from a viewership perspective was the June 7 game between the Indiana Fever and Chicago Sky on CBS.
Whoopi Goldberg’s All Women’s Sports Network launches Pluto TV FAST channel
Dedicated channel to offer over 2,500 hours of live women’s sports annually in Canada, the UK, the US and the Nordics.
Denver Onyx charging into championship as women’s pro rugby continues to grow
Team draws record crowds while balancing multiple jobs with building a future for women’s sports in Colorado.
The Battle For Professional Volleyball Has Officially Begun
Megan Courtney-Lush was ready to retire. She played four years of college volleyball at Penn State and then went on to play professionally in Puerto Rico, Poland, Turkey, and Italy. After 10 years, she had decided that it was time to come home and move on to the next stage of her life.
Agassi, Blitzer Join $20M VC Round for Racket Sports-Themed Club
A new social club concept called Ballers, seeking to build off the popularity of sports such as pickleball and padel, has raised $20 million from a deep bench of professional athletes and sports-focused investors.
NCAA's House settlement approved, ushering in new era where schools can directly pay athletes
A California judge on Friday night a little bit past 9 p.m. ET granted approval to the NCAA’s landmark settlement of three antitrust cases, often referred to as the “House settlement,” ushering in an era where schools are permitted to share revenue with athletes within a new enforcement structure led by the SEC, Big Ten, Big 12 and ACC.
Watching women's sport not just for women: Experts talk on levelling the playing field
In 2023, a nation held its breath as the Matildas took on England in the FIFA Women's World Cup semifinal. What followed wasn't just a gripping match, it became the most-watched television broadcast in Australian history. A post-tournament social impact report from Football Australia revealed that 44 per cent of the audience comprised men and boys.
Women’s sports investor Kara Nortman on outlook, experiences and opportunities
Kara Nortman has gained an interesting perspective on the women’s sports landscape in recent years. She is known, most prominently, as one of the original owners of Angel City FC when the NWSL franchise launched in 2020.
Is NiJaree Canady’s $1M deal the best return on investment in sports history?: MoneyCall
About a year ago, Texas Tech boosters offered (and paid!) $1 million to the best pitcher in college softball, NiJaree Canady, to leave Stanford...
Down to Business: Multi-club ownership is growing in women’s soccer, but ‘execution is everything’
In today’s increasingly high-stakes world of sports investment, a handful of women’s soccer investors aren’t betting on one team, they’re building empires.
Women’s sports can unlock value by reimagining their digital game
The landscape of women’s sports is up for grabs, and organizations have an unprecedented opportunity to take market share by putting their data to work.
The business of women’s basketball – part four: Where does the sport go from here?
Women’s basketball is on an upward trajectory, but there are several challenges on the horizon. With players pushing for a fairer share of revenue and emerging leagues employing new commercial models, the next 12 months will likely shape the sport’s future.
Portland’s The Sports Bra to expand to four more cities
Boston, Indianapolis, Las Vegas and St. Louis are the first four cities outside of Portland where the women’s sports bar is supporting franchises.
Peyton Manning to Invest in Denver NWSL Expansion Team
The Hall of Fame quarterback is adding soccer to his portfolio.
RIA firm Certuity invests in Italy SailGP team alongside Anne Hathaway
SailGP, the global sailing league founded by Larry Ellison, has added $4 billion RIA and multi-family office Certuity as an investor in its Italy team as the firm expands its focus on emerging sports following earlier investments in NBA franchises.
CBS and Paramount+ secure US broadcast rights to UWCL until 2030
Streaming service becomes home of men’s and women’s European soccer until end of decade.
WNBA Leads Online Search Growth In Global Sports Properties 2025 Report
The Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) has emerged as the top-performing sports property worldwide for online search growth, according to the Global Sports Properties 2025 – SportOnSocial report.
Women’s Sporting Goods Boom Drives Hot Startups Like Moolah Kicks and Round 21
Companies tap into a fast-growing niche with apparel and merchandise for fans and players ranging from basketballs featuring the artwork of Jean-Michel Basquiat to sneakers engineered for women’s feet.
PE Gets Called Up To The Major Leagues
Even as the broader markets remain flooded with uncertainty, one area continues to attract PE capital regardless of market conditions: professional sports.
Sha'Carri Richardson Investing In Team-Based Track And Field League
Building off the success of its inaugural event in 2024, Athlos will debut a team-based track and field league in 2026, with Olympic gold medalists as founding adviser-owners.
Reframing the conversation around women in TV & sport
Presenter Suzi Perry speaks to Broadcast Sport about TNT Sports’ Reframe The Game initiative and why it’s needed.
Pinterest scores first sports marketing partnership with New York Liberty
The platform has seen a surge in searches for the 2024 championship team and users seeking style tips from WNBA stars.
Major League Baseball announces investment in new pro softball league
Major League Baseball is purchasing a stake in Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL) as part of its efforts to grow the league ahead of its inaugural season, MLB said in a statement Thursday.
Fox Sports makes history with first U.S. broadcast TV presentation of UEFA Women's EURO 2025™
FOX Sports announces the network’s inaugural and historic presentation of UEFA Women’s EURO 2025™ debuting with 19 games this summer on FOX, the first U.S. English-language TV broadcast.
Report: Nielsen Signs WNBA Deal in Milestone for Women’s Sports
Nielsen has reportedly signed a landmark multiyear agreement with the WNBA and NBA to provide official viewership measurement across linear television and streaming platforms.
The business of women’s basketball – part three: “There’s a huge return on investment”
As media rights and sponsorship revenue soars, SportsPro breaks down the dynamics that are making women’s basketball an increasingly attractive commercial proposition to broadcasters, brands and a growing number of product licensees.
US Bank Named Official Banking and Wealth Management Partner of Premier Lacrosse League and Women's Lacrossed League
The Premier Lacrosse League (PLL) and Women's Lacrosse League (WLL) announced today a multi-year partnership with U.S. Bank, establishing it as the Official Banking and Wealth Management Partner of both leagues.
Actress Anne Hathaway among investors in Red Bull Italy SailGP Team
Actress Anne Hathaway is part of a consortium of investors and sports industry leaders who are joining forces to acquire the Red Bull Italy SailGP Team, the international sailing league announced Tuesday.
Liberty Announce New Strategic Investors
The New York Liberty have added some major new names to their financial roster.
Empower Her Fund leader talks challenges of building a brand for startup team
Last summer, just before Charlotte’s women’s soccer team debuted, controlling owner Dan DiMicco disclosed the addition of a new investor: Empower Her Fund LLC.
‘Catalytic investment’ for Denver NWSL stadium
The Denver City Council on May 12th approved two “catalytic investments” involving the proposed National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) stadium and the site of the former Park Hill Golf Course in Denver, Colorado (US).
Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian buys minority stake in Chelsea women’s team
Entrepreneur and Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian has continued his investment into women’s sport by purchasing a minority stake in English soccer club Chelsea FC Women.
Down to Business: Valuations are wild, returns are rocky. But women’s sports teams are in demand
Everyone loves to gawk at the price tags billionaires pay for sports teams: $250 million for Angel City FC; $110 million in expansion fees for the newest NWSL franchise in Denver; and most recently, $26.5 million paid by Alexis Ohanian for an 8 percent stake in Chelsea Women, which values the team at $326 million (£245 million).
How high can they go? What will continue valuation growth in women’s sports
TFor several years now, a steady drumbeat of indicators has made clear the rapid growth of women’s sports. Record viewership and attendance, landmark media deals, NIL success and a growing presence in the cultural zeitgeist. We’re tripping over indicators on a weekly, if not daily, basis.
WNBA Franchises Are the Next Big Sports Investment
The momentum of women’s sports as an asset class is real, and WNBA teams in particular may be the next big moneymaker, according to Kai Cunningham, a former Goldman Sachs banker who created his own venture capital firm to work with athletes before turning 30.
Why women's sports is like investing in small-cap stocks
In the world of investing in women's sports, putting money to work is akin to finding a great small-cap stock.
