BUSINESS NEWS

October 28, 2021

WNBA Star Alana Beard Leads Effort For Oakland Team

A WNBA expansion team could be coming to Oakland through an investor group led by retired player Alana Beard. The WNBA champion is partnering with the African American Sports and Entertainment Group, an organization reportedly seeking a 50% stake in the Oakland Coliseum Complex. Oakland’s Vice Mayor Rebecca Kaplan has been supportive of the...

October 27, 2021

More women are taking ownership stakes in sports teams

Though women have held a place in the ownership ranks of American pro teams for years, female-led control bids have been exceedingly rare, if not altogether nonexistent, throughout the country’s top leagues. Yet there are now clear signs of change and two key factors — namely, loosening ownership restrictions and...

October 27, 2021

Sports Innovation Lab Raises Total Funding to US$5.8 Million with Latest Round

Sports Innovation Lab, a data-driven fan intelligence company, has completed raising a round of funding that increases the company’s total capital raised to $5.8 million. This latest round was co-led by Elysian Park Ventures, the private investment arm of the Los Angeles Dodgers’ ownership group, and Eileen Murray, the former...

October 26, 2021

First stadium in U.S. built specifically for women’s soccer team announced in Kansas City

The very first stadium built specifically for a women’s soccer team in the U.S. will be built in Kansas City. KCTV5 reports a $70 million riverfront National Women’s Soccer League stadium is coming to Kansas City. It said the 11,000-seat stadium, the future home of the Kansas City National Women’s...

October 25, 2021

Serena Williams rookie card goes for $44,280, a new record price for female-athlete cards at auction

A Serena Williams autographed rookie card from 2003 was sold at New Jersey-based Goldin Auctions on Sunday for $44,280. The price was a record for any women's sports card, beating the record sale previously held by a 1992 S.I. for Kids Mia Hamm rookie card, which sold in late June with Goldin...

October 22, 2021

There’s a Growing Business Case for Investing in Women’s Sports

The profit potential for women’s sports is gaining a lot of attention these days. For venture capitalists, celebrities and sports legends, new revenue streams and shifting fan behavior may soon deliver huge returns. Bloomberg

October 22, 2021

WNBA finals TV ratings up 42% on 2019 season

The Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) scored its most viewed finals since 2017 via domestic broadcast partner Disney, with an average 548,000 viewers tuning in across the four games on ESPN and ABC. SP

October 21, 2021

Angel City FC announce revenue-sharing plan with their players

NWSL (National Women's Soccer League) expansion team Angel City FC announced that one percent of the net ticketing revenue from all of Angel City’s home regular season NWSL games will be divided equally amongst each player on the ACFC roster who opts in and supports marketing initiatives to drive ticket...

October 20, 2021

Blackstone buys majority stake in shapewear maker Spanx

Investment firm Blackstone Inc will buy a majority stake in Spanx, valuing the shapewear maker at $1.2 billion, allowing Spanx to further expand globally and help it strengthen its online business. The New York Post

October 19, 2021

Are you ready for some volleyball? A new women’s pro league hopes the answer is yes

U.S. women's volleyball is second to none, sitting atop the world rankings. The game is thriving from the youth level up to the Olympics. But every year, the top U.S. women head to international leagues after college. That's because the rest of the world has something the U.S. does not: dozens...

October 19, 2021

espnW Unveils Campaign For Women’s Sports Channel

espnW unveiled a branding campaign today that asserts what a “W.” is. espnW is challenging female athletes and fans alike, noting that a W is a way of looking at the world of sport and seeing more than a game or a race, according to the company. With “That’s a...

October 19, 2021

Sports Innovation Lab Announces Creation of Women’s Sports Leadership Board at espnW: Women + Sports Summit

LA JOLLA, CALIF. (PRWEB) OCTOBER 19, 2021 — Sports Innovation Lab, a data-driven fan intelligence company, announced today at the 2021 espnW: Women + Sports Summit the formation of the Women’s Sports Leadership Board, bringing together leading executives from leagues, media networks, brands, retailers, and other influential properties from across...

October 17, 2021

How Under Armour Is Winning With Women in Basketball — and Why That Impacts Its Efforts in Other Sports

Under Armour revealed its Breakthru basketball sneaker, the Flow Breakthru 2, emblematic of its continuous efforts to cater to women athletes. To break down barriers that girls often face when playing or considering playing sports, Under Armour also developed initiatives like She Who Plays with Good Sports and a partnership...

October 15, 2021

Diamondback’s Eat My Dust Gravel Scholarship Returns for its Second Year

KENT, Wash., (October, 15, 2021) /SPORTSWIRE WOMEN/ — Diamondback, a leader in the gravel cycling space, and professional triathlete and gravel racer Rach McBride have teamed up for the second annual Gravel Scholarship. This year with a new name, the Eat My Dust Gravel Scholarship, which will aim to encourage more...

October 15, 2021

Women’s Tour de France signs up Discovery and NTT as broadcast and tech partners

Race organiser the Amaury Sporting Organisation (ASO) has appointed Marion Rousse as race director and secured connected fitness platform Zwift as title sponsor for the inaugural edition of the relaunched ‘Tour de France Femmes’ to be held next year. Rousse unveiled an eight-stage race route with the peloton starting on...

October 15, 2021

Dawn Staley Signs Seven-Year, $22.4 Million Contract Extension with South Carolina

The University of South Carolina Gamecocks have officially signed their women’s basketball head coach Dawn Staley to a historical contract on Friday. The new deal not only makes her the highest paid Black head coach in her sport, but one of the highest paid women’s basketball coaches in the country....

October 14, 2021

Echelon Appoints Board Member

Connected fitness company Echelon announced today the appointment of Gabby Cohen to its Board of Directors. This board placement was supported by the company’s collaboration with the Women on Boards (WOB) Project and North Castle Partners. Cohen brings experience across fitness, lifestyle, technology, and retail to Echelon at a time...

October 12, 2021

Athletes Unlimited to Launch Basketball League in 2022

Basketball set to be fourth Athletes Unlimited player-driven women’s professional sports league, set to kick off January Natasha Cloud, Sydney Colson and Ty Young confirmed as first three players, will serve on Player Executive Committee Athletes Unlimited today announced the launch of a new professional women’s basketball league, set to...

October 12, 2021

USL appoints Amanda Vandervort as president of newly created women’s league

The United Soccer League's recently created women's league has named Amanda Vandervort appointed as its inaugural president. The USL Super League, which will be a professional Division II women's league, was originally announced in September and is set to launch in 2023. It will double the number of professional women's...

October 11, 2021

Quality Bicycle Products Hires VP Of Brand Marketing

Quality Bicycle Products has hired Shylo Masumi Farnsworth as VP of brand marketing. Farnsworth brings 18 years of experience in marketing, retail, digital, and brand experience and joins Quality Bicycle Products from Nike. She is responsible for all marketing and external communications and its proprietary brands, including Salsa Cycles, Surly, All-City,...

October 10, 2021

Marion Rousse appointed race director of Tour de France Femmes

Race organizers ASO confirmed Sunday that the French former rider and current television analyst Marion Rousse will head up the organization of next summer’s inaugural Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift. The women’s Tour de France will return July 24-31 after various previous incarnations of the race came to a...

October 6, 2021

Shalane Flanagan Partners with InsideTracker to Make Professional-Level Blood Data Insights Accessible to Every Athlete

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.— Oct. 6, 2021 /SPORTSWIRE WOMEN/ — InsideTracker, the leading truly personalized performance and nutrition system, today announced a limited-edition blood biometric panel created alongside Olympic medalist and New York City Marathon champion, Shalane Flanagan. The InsideTracker x Shalane Flanagan Panel tests more than 20 key biomarkers that are...

October 5, 2021

ESPN Anchor Sage Steele Removed From Air

The co-anchor of the noon “SportsCenter” is expected to be off for at least a week, said sources. Steele is also expected to skip her turn as host of the espnW: Women + Sports Summit, which takes place Oct. 18-20. Steele has tested positive for COVID-19, according to sources. But...

October 4, 2021

DAZN And YouTube Launch UEFA Women’s Champions League Coverage Live Around The World

  LONDON, Oct. 4, 2021 - With the group stage of the UEFA Women's Champions League officially kicking off, global sports streaming platform and host broadcaster DAZN together with partner YouTube are thrilled to begin live broadcast coverage for fans around the world, marking the official start to the landmark multi-year...

October 1, 2021

Shelley Villalobos Named Executive Director of Council for Responsible Sport

October 1, 2021, Portland, OR /SPORTSWIRE WOMEN/ — Today the Council for Responsible Sport announced that Shelley Villalobos (34), its longtime managing director, has been promoted to the position of executive director. Shelley served as the Council’s certification director for three years prior to being named managing director five years ago....