BUSINESS NEWS

May 11, 2022

Serena Williams & Naomi Osaka are only women in top-100 highest-paid athletes

Sports business website Sportico has published a list of the top 100 highest-paid athletes in the world and it makes grim reading for female athletes. Give Me Sport

May 9, 2022

WNBA Eyeing 2 Expansion Teams, Seeking Financial Stability

In response to players speaking out against the WNBA’s restrictive roster sizes, commissioner Cathy Engelbert is addressing their concerns by charting a path for the future of the league’s finances. The WNBA is looking to add two expansion teams within the next few years, per the Seattle Times. FS

May 6, 2022

Nike to Close Offices Again For a Week in August, Offer Summer Fridays, As It Brings Employees Back Into the Office

Nike is continuing its efforts to emphasize employee well-being as it starts the process of bringing employees back into the office. The sportswear giant will once again close all of its offices worldwide for a week in August to give its employees additional time off to recover and rest, according...

May 4, 2022

Thirty Five Ventures, co-founded by Kevin Durant, joins Gotham FC as minority investor

An investment company co-founded by Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant is joining the Gotham FC's ownership group. Thirty Five Ventures, or 35V, co-founded by Durant and entrepreneur Rich Kleiman, has joined the North Jersey-based professional women's soccer club as minority investors, the team said Wednesday. The news comes on the tails of...

May 3, 2022

Naomi Osaka joins Modern Health as advocate for mental wellness

Four-time Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka, who has been open about her battle with depression, has joined workplace wellness and mental health platform Modern Health as an advocate for de-stigmatizing mental health care and making it more accessible. Biz Journals

May 3, 2022

U.S. classifies Brittney Griner as ‘wrongfully detained’ in Russia

The formal change in designation is a significant development because it opens a new path to secure Griner's freedom. Instead of waiting for her drug smuggling case to play out in the Russian legal system, the U.S. government will now actively seek to negotiate her return. Yahoo Sports

April 30, 2022

Serena Williams investments could make her first female athlete billionaire

Serena Williams is widely regarded as the best tennis player to ever grace the court. Her sporting success has made her a household name but her business ventures are just as fascinating. In fact, her decorated career and impressive business partnerships could see her become the world’s first ever female athlete...

April 28, 2022

ABC bumped the NCAA Women’s Gymnastics Championship for hockey, then got burned when the gymnasts drew more eyes

This year's NCAA women's gymnastics championship drew its largest audience in a decade as the Oklahoma Sooners edged out the Florida Gators, Utah Utes, and Auburn Tigers for the 2022 title. Women's college gymnastics experienced something of a renaissance in 2022 as interest and audiences surged across the country. With...

April 27, 2022

ESPN goes big on women’s sports with multi-year Athletes Unlimited softball and lacrosse deal

The sports broadcasting giant struck a deal with AU to exclusively carry its softball and lacrosse competitions for the next two years. In total, fans will be able to tune in live for more than 160 games across ESPN's platforms. Insider

April 27, 2022

Everything You Need to Know About Serena Williams’ Hub of Imagination at Nike Headquarters

Addressing media last week during a walkthrough of the Serena Williams Building, which was designed by Portland architecture firm Skylab Architecture, longtime Nike exec John Hoke explained the athlete’s influence on the facility. The chief design officer referred to Williams as “the spine of the project.” Footwear News

April 25, 2022

Women’s Sports Network adds Athletes Unlimited to content slate

Los Angeles-based Fast Studios has revealed partnerships with four leagues and organizations to beef out the programming slate for its new Women’s Sports Network streaming channel. The dedicated 24-hour streaming channel for women’s sport will now offer content from Athletes Unlimited, a network of player-driven sports leagues that include softball,...

April 25, 2022

Kristin Kohler Burrows Joins Executive Leadership Team of OrthoLite and Cirql as Chief Brand Officer

AMHERST, Mass. (April 25, 2022)/SPORTSWIRE WOMEN/ – OrthoLite®, the 25-year global leader of branded, high-performance and comfort footwear solutions and the company behind the recent launch of Cirql, the world’s first EVA plastics-free, recyclable, biodegradable and industrially compostable foam, announces Kristin Kohler Burrows as Chief Brand Officer. Burrows joins the OrthoLite and...

April 21, 2022

Beachbody announces president and CFO is stepping down

The Beachbody Company Inc. President and Chief Financial Officer Sue Collyns is stepping down in May, the the digital fitness and nutrition subscription company has announced. She is leaving to transition to a new chapter of opportunities in both the for-profit and non-profit sectors. The company also announced that Kathy...

April 21, 2022

Chelsea Bid Gets Backing From Serena Williams, Lewis Hamilton

Final bids for Chelsea FC were submitted last week — and now two of the world’s top athletes are entering the mix. According to Sky Sports, 23-time Grand Slam singles champion Serena Williams and seven-time Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton have joined Sir Martin Broughton’s consortium, agreeing to invest roughly $13 million each should the group win...

April 20, 2022

Duquesne University Becomes 10th NCAA Division I School to Add Varsity Women’s Triathlon

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. / SPORTSWIRE WOMEN/ – USA Triathlon, along with Duquesne University Vice President of Athletics Dave Harper, today announced that Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, will become the 10th NCAA Division I program to offer women’s triathlon at the varsity level. The team will begin competing in fall 2023. ...

April 19, 2022

Billie Jean King Enterprises, Elysian Park Ventures, the Los Angeles Dodgers, and R/GA Ventures to Launch First Venture Studio Focused on Women and Sports

NEW YORK, April 19, 2022 -- Billie Jean King Enterprises, Elysian Park Ventures, the Los Angeles Dodgers, and R/GA Ventures are launching the Trailblazer Venture Studio, a new venture studio focused on the biggest growth opportunity in sports: women. The Trailblazer Venture Studio sets out to accelerate the future of women and...

April 19, 2022

Serena Williams’ venture fund invests seven-figure sum into OpenSponsorship

Launched in 2015 by British entrepreneur Ishveen Jolly, OS’ tech platform allows athletes to sign up for free and apply directly to brands to work with them on certain campaigns. Brands themselves are able to pay a flexible subscription fee. By end of 2021, the business had facilitated more than...

April 19, 2022

Hipcamp and REI Partner to Champion Women’s Mental Health via #WeHikeToHeal for Second Year

SAN FRANCISCO-- For the second consecutive year, Hipcamp and REI will partner to sponsor Outdoor Journal Tour's #WeHikeToHeal, a month-long outdoor wellness initiative focused on improving mental health outcomes for women across the United States. This continued partnership marks the brands’ shared commitment to promoting access to the outdoors and encouraging diversity in outdoor spaces....

April 19, 2022

Serena Williams Teams Up With Karat to Double the Number of Black Software Engineers in the U.S.

SEATTLE -- Karat, the world’s largest interviewing company, today announced a strategic investment from Serena Williams to significantly scale Brilliant Black Minds, a program that improves access and inclusion across the technology industry. By opening the program to all current and aspiring Black software engineers and serving as Karat’s “Champion of...

April 18, 2022

NCAA Women’s Gymnastics Dominates ESPN Social Media Engagement

Division I women’s basketball isn’t the only NCAA women’s sport that drew impressive fan engagement this year. Women’s gymnastics drew more engagement on ESPN social platforms than any other women’s sport in 2022, the network announced, garnering 100 million impressions. Front Office Sports

April 14, 2022

Women Now Make Up One-Third Of NBA Audience

Full-season NBA viewership for the 2021-22 regular season rose 19% to 1.6 million average game viewers. But the growth of female viewers outpaced that overall average, with viewership up 23% from last season – and 11% from the 2019-2020 season. Front Office Sports

April 12, 2022

Liv Debuts Latest “Liv Committed” Global Brand Campaign, “All In”

NEWBURY PARK, Calif. /SPORTSWIRE WOMEN/ - Liv, the brand dedicated to getting more women on bikes, today introduced the third installment of its global brand campaign “Liv Committed,” introducing “All In.” Featuring Liv Racing athletes, global ambassadors, and women cyclists, the new campaign explores the many expressions of commitment, and...

April 11, 2022

Brooks Appoints Chief Running Advisor

Brooks has named the two-time US Olympian Des Linden its chief running advisor. Linden will help the running brand conceive and create new products and technology. SGB Media

April 9, 2022

First ever women’s sports bar open in Portland

Chef Jenny Nguyen is proving the phrase “if you build it, they will come” true after opening the first sports bar in the country to exclusively show women’s sports. Customers are already pouring into “The Sports Bra” as ratings for the WNBA, women’s soccer and softball are reaching record highs. Today

April 8, 2022

Gotham FC bolsters women-led front office with key management hire for new season

Pagnanelli began her role earlier this year and hit the ground running. Since she joined the women-led front office at Gotham, the franchise signed a major tech partnership with the blockchain company Algorand — the company’s logo will be emblazoned on Gotham’s jerseys for the 2022 season. North Jersey