BUSINESS NEWS
Want to stay up to date on the latest women's sports press releases and business news? Scroll below to view all women's sports business news.-
March 7, 2022
How much money do athletes in the WNBA make? Do they have other jobs?
While the public perception of professional basketball players being multi-millionaires, bolstered by the headline-grabbing stories of contracts in excess of $40 million, the reality is that in the women’s game, the money is far more humble. According to Yahoo Finance, the average WNBA salary in 2021 is $120,648. The league’s “supermax” salary...
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March 7, 2022
How the Women’s Sports Network intends to cover female athletes “through a new lens”
Female athletes are set to have a US channel exclusively dedicated to them. Ahead of International Women’s Day, SportsPro caught up with Carol Stiff, the former ESPN executive now serving as an advisor to the Women’s Sports Network, to hear how the free, ad-supported, 24/7 streaming destination plans to provide...
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March 6, 2022
American double Olympic basketball gold medallist arrested on drugs charges in Moscow
Double Olympic gold medallist Brittney Griner has been arrested in Moscow on drugs charges, USA Basketball has confirmed. The Russian Federal Customs Service announced in a statement that an inspection of hand luggage carried by a United States citizen who arrived on a flight from New York City revealed that...
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March 5, 2022
Why Brittney Griner and Other W.N.B.A. Stars Play Overseas
Competing for international teams during the W.N.B.A.’s off-season is common for players. Why play overseas? For one, it gives them the chance to earn extra money. Depending on which country, leagues and teams, players can make several hundred thousand dollars and even more than $1 million. Another reason is playing...
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March 5, 2022
U.S. Soccer Votes to Retain Cindy Parlow Cone as President
U.S. Soccer is staying the course, voting to keep Cindy Parlow Cone as president at the organization’s annual general meeting in Atlanta. Parlow Cone, the first woman president in U.S. Soccer Federation history, won the vote of the membership over Carlos Cordeiro, whom she replaced in the job in March of...
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March 3, 2022
Serena Williams Venture Capital Firm Lands $111M
Serena Williams just scored a major off-court win — this time, with her venture capital firm. Serena Ventures announced on Wednesday that its first fund has raised $111 million. The fund will “invest in founders with diverse points of view,” according to The New York Times. The company has made angel investments in...
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March 2, 2022
PWHPA Inching Closer to Forming Women’s Pro Hockey League
Talks with select NHL teams and major corporate sponsors have intensified in the Professional Women’s Hockey Players’ Association’s bid to form a pro league within the next year. Associated Press
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March 1, 2022
How Airplanes Became the WNBA’s Biggest Scandal
The Liberty’s repeated chartering of flights, a violation of CBA rules, is a window into the state of ownership in the league. SI WNBA
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February 25, 2022
Former USWNT goalkeeper Hope Solo blasts equal pay settlement as ‘heartbreaking, infuriating’
"Read the fine print." Former United States goalkeeper Hope Solo said on Wednesday the women's national team's $24 million settlement with U.S. Soccer over an equal pay lawsuit was not the huge win it was being trumpeted as but rather "heartbreaking and infuriating." ESPN
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February 23, 2022
Potential Buyers Want to Bring Women’s Professional Basketball Back to Portland but Will Need Support From Trail Blazers Ownership
20 years ago women’s professional basketball team had a home in Portland and amassed a loyal following of more than 8,000 fans a night. They left in 2002 after then-Trail Blazers owner Paul Allen declined to add them to his portfolio of sports franchises. But now at least two parties...
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February 22, 2022
ESPN sells out NCAA Women’s Tournament ad inventory
March is obviously a huge month for college sports, with the men’s and women’s basketball tournaments set to begin. Well in advance of the start date, ESPN and Disney announced today that they’ve completely sold out of ad inventory for the women’s NCAA Tournament, which airs exclusively on ESPN’s family...
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February 16, 2022
Angel City FC adds Gabrielle Union, daughter, Christina Aguilera to star-studded ownership group
Angel City FC, the expansion team set to debut in the National Women's Soccer League this year, has added a few more celebrities to its star-studded ownership group -- including the 3-year-old daughter of former NBA star Dwyane Wade and actress Gabrielle Union. ESPN
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February 7, 2022
$10,000 in Grants Available for Women Alpinists; Act Fast
GRIT&ROCK’s First Ascent Expedition Prize started along with the organization itself in 2016. Each year since the program has distributed $10,000 in grants to selected majority-female alpine climbing expeditions. This month, it puts another $10,000 on the table. Gear Junkie
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February 7, 2022
Nike joins all-star lineup with WNBA equity investment
Nike Inc. is now an equity investor in the WNBA, the company announced Thursday, building upon its 25-year partnership with the league. Nike (NYSE: NKE) is not the only one investing in the WNBA, as it also announced Thursday the largest-ever capital raise for a women’s sports property, featuring new...
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February 3, 2022
Athletes Unlimited and Sportradar are all-in on betting in women’s sports
AU has agreed to terms on a multi-year sports integrity partnernship with Sportradar, an industry leader in sports data collection and analysis. The deal will help Athletes Unlimited further delve into the sports betting market by offering the network's five leagues protection from match fixing and other betting-related corruption. Insider
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February 1, 2022
Women’s Sports Network seeks to spotlight female athletes
This summer, L.A.-based Fast Studios plans to launch the Women’s Sports Network, a 24-hour television channel entirely devoted to covering female athletes on and off the field. The Women’s Sports Network is partnering with several prominent organizations, including the Ladies Professional Golf Assn., U.S. Ski and Snowboard, and World Surf...
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January 28, 2022
Let’s Just Crowdfund Women’s Sports Teams into Existence
The Minnesota Aurora FC’s existence is entirely thanks to a $1 million community investment campaign that required a $100 minimum investment from each contributor and concluded in December 2021. The team is funded by 3,080 investors from 48 states, 8 countries, 2 military bases, and an embassy, according to a...
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January 27, 2022
Ikea’s digital chief tapped to head global sporting goods company
Global sports company Decathlon has named Ikea’s chief digital officer as its next CEO. Barbara Martin Coppola, who will join France-based Decathlon in mid-March, is a French and Spanish co-national who has lived and worked in nine countries worldwide. She currently has overall responsibility for the digital business and technology...
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January 26, 2022
Serena Williams card breaks record for highest-selling women’s sports card at $117,000
Serena Williams has added another record to her resume. At PWCC Marketplace on Monday night, a 1999 SI For Kids Series 4 Serena Williams Rookie card has sold for $117,000. This shatters the record for a women's sports card. The previous record for a women's sports card was $44,280, set by,...
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January 20, 2022
Serena Williams appointed as board advisor for NFT platform Sorare
Serena Williams is joining Sorare as an advisor to its board of directors, according to a statement from the company. The company plans to expand into women’s sports in 2022. The Block Crypto
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January 19, 2022
Megan Ritch and Kristina Mena get commissions with World Triathlon
USA Triathlon has announced that Megan Ritch has been appointed to the World Triathlon Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Commission; and Kristina Mena has been appointed to the World Triathlon Sustainability Commission. Endurance Biz
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January 18, 2022
Women’s Hockey Gets $25 Million Boost Amid Expansion Plans
The Premier Hockey Federation, formerly known as the NWHL, announced a $25 million investment in its players and the league over the next three years from its Board of Governors, the largest one-time independent investment in the history of professional women’s hockey. Team owners will fund the investment, each committing to invest an...
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January 18, 2022
Women’s Hockey League Doubles Salary Cap, Getting $25M
Two weeks before the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics open, the Premier Hockey Federation announced plans to raise each team’s salary cap from $300,000 to $750,000 and add two more teams next season. The sole North American women’s hockey league — previously called the National Women’s Hockey League — has six...
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January 15, 2022
The Two Women’s Cycling Unions Are at Odds Over the Prize Money Management System
One organization representing the women’s peloton has taken aim at another organization representing the women’s peloton this week. Cycling Tips
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January 14, 2022
Highest-Paid Female Athletes Earned $167M in 2021
The world’s highest-paid female athletes have made a name for themselves in their respective sports, but most of the women make more money from endorsements than they do competing. The top 10 accounted for a combined $167 million in pretax earnings according to Forbes, a 23% increase compared to 2020. Tennis star Naomi...