BUSINESS NEWS

May 23, 2022

‘This is why it mattered’: Women’s pro hockey is about to have its moment

With details still forthcoming, at least one thing is clear: the future of women’s hockey was built on history. Lessons from the generations of women’s hockey players and leaders who pushed the sport to where it is now, but also lessons from women’s soccer and basketball and tennis, too. And...

May 20, 2022

Seattle Storm to develop city’s first center for basketball performance

Force 10 Facilities, LLC (F10F) submitted a Master Use Permit application for a new, state-of-the-art professional basketball performance center. The center will serve as the dedicated practice facility for the WNBA’s Seattle Storm. Its design will both celebrate the Storm’s success in Seattle and allow the franchise to expand its...

May 17, 2022

Alessandra Faciperi joins MarathonFoto as Director of Operations.

/SPORTSWIRE WOMEN/ - MarathonFoto, the world’s largest publisher of amateur endurance sports photos, announces that Alessandra Faciperi will join the team as the Director of Operations. Alessandra will oversee event staffing and Customer Service. Alessandra worked with MarathonFoto previously as Director of Client Relations in Europe. “We are thrilled to...

May 16, 2022

Women Joining Sports Betting Apps at Faster Rate Than Men

More than 4.6 million women joined sports betting apps in 2021, according to Global Wireless Solutions, and female user rates grew 115% compared to 2020. FanDuel added around 1.7 million female users last year. DraftKings brought in an estimated 900,000 women. While the number of men on sports betting apps was 250% more than...

May 16, 2022

7 Questions With Eniola Aluko, the Woman Changing Pro Soccer With Angel City FC

Eniola Aluko is the sporting director of Angel City FC, a new expansion team in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL). Born in Lagos, Nigeria and raised in Birmingham, England, Aluko went on to play for England’s national team and a host of other teams around the world, including Chelsea...

May 16, 2022

Exclusive: Six Trailblazing Women From Nike Sound Off On Their Unique Sisterhood and Igniting Change Inside the Company

For the first time, the women at the center of the company’s transformation are coming together for a joint interview and photo shoot. Nike is using its 50th anniversary to make a powerful statement about its future, which will be driven by, and dependent upon, the instrumental leaders here today....

May 16, 2022

Women in Power

In the May “Women in Power” issue, six of Nike’s trailblazing execs at the center of the brand’s ambitious strategy sat down with FN for exclusive interviews to discuss their unique career paths, Nike’s 50th anniversary and lighting the path for the next generation. FN

May 12, 2022

How Naomi Osaka became one of the world’s most marketable athletes

Naomi Osaka is an incredible athlete, a champion, history maker and role model. The four-time Grand Slam winner has gained significant recognition as an activist and she has most recently become an advocate for mental health awareness, making her one of the world’s recognized and most marketable sportspeople. Givemesport

May 12, 2022

Adidas Ad Featuring Bare Breasts Banned in the UK

Adidas went controversial when it decided to display the bare breasts of 25 women in a recent advertising campaign for its sports bras. Now, an independent advertising regulator in the UK has banned the campaign. FN

May 12, 2022

Women-Led Brand Wild Rye Partners With Red Bull Formation

Sun Valley, ID /SPORTSWIRE WOMEN/ -  Wild Rye, the women-founded, women-led and women-specific mountain bike, snowsports and outdoor apparel company, is proud to announce a partnership with Red Bull Formation, the premiere women’s big mountain freeride invitational progression session. Running from May 8-15, 2022, in Virgin, Utah, Red Bull Formation...

May 11, 2022

Naomi Osaka Leaves IMG to Start Own Sports Agency

The world’s highest-paid female athlete is venturing out on her own for representation. Tennis star Naomi Osaka announced that she and agent Stuart Duguid have left IMG to launch their own sports agency, EVOLVE. FOS

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...