BUSINESS NEWS

April 17, 2024

Under Armour Loses Another High-Ranking Female Exec, This Time in the HR Function

The Baltimore-based athletic brand announced in a Tuesday SEC filing that its chief people and administrative officer Tchernavia Rocker will be leaving the company on June 1, 2024 “for personal reasons.” She joined the company in 2019 as its chief people and culture officer, a then-newly created title to emphasize...

April 16, 2024

Serena Williams eyes potential investment in Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese and Women’s Basketball

Serena Williams, known for her dominance on the Tennis court, is exploring opportunities to channel her influence into women's basketball. The 23-time Grand Slam champion, who already holds ownership stakes in Angel City FC and Los Angeles Golf Club, expressed her interest in owning a WNBA team, provided the conditions are right. In a recent interview...

April 16, 2024

Clark sets jersey sales record for draft picks

Just two hours after the Indiana Fever selected her with the No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft on Monday, Clark became Fanatics' top-selling draft pick of any draft night in history, according to Darren Rovell of cllct. Clark's jersey sales surpassed those of Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence, who set the...

April 16, 2024

The WNBA Has Huge Ambitions as Caitlin Clark Finally Comes Aboard

Caitlin Clark made her way to the podium to shake commissioner Cathy Engelbert’s hand and usher in a new era of the WNBA. She did the obligatory interview with ESPN before heading backstage and being greeted by…Jake from State Farm? The insurance spokesman, who has appeared alongside the Iowa star...

April 8, 2024

WNBA Commish Wants New Media-Rights Deal to Double Old One

Cathy Engelbert is betting big on the WNBA’s next media-rights deal. Speaking on CNBC a day after Iowa fell to undefeated South Carolina in the NCAA championship game, the WNBA commissioner is already talking up the impact Caitlin Clark will bring to her league a week before she officially joins it. The...

April 2, 2024

FanDuel says Iowa-LSU game was its biggest betting event of all time for women’s sports

The superstar women’s college basketball matchups Monday night attracted more than just viewers — the games also set new sports betting records. FanDueltells CNBC that the Louisiana State University versus Iowa game was its biggest betting event of all time for women’s sports. The record betting comes as women’s sports...

March 26, 2024

The Women’s Trading Card Market Is Untapped. Can Caitlin Clark Change That?

In her final, record-breaking season at Iowa, Caitlin Clark’s impact on women’s college basketball cannot be overstated, from historic ratings to spiked ticket prices and sold-out arenas. As soon as the obvious No. 1 pick declared for next month’s WNBA draft, the average price for Indiana Fever tickets more than...

March 25, 2024

VIDEO: Women’s sports are primed for venture investment

March Madness is a thrilling, sometimes nerve-wracking, time of year for many people, and for the first time in history viewers may be more excited for the women's tournament than the men's. As surprising as that sounds, it comes at no surprise to Jasmine Robinson, co-founder and managing partner of...

March 22, 2024

How Women Are Redefining Fitness on Their Own Terms

Women’s History Month commemorates the achievements and struggles of women throughout history and casts a light on the evolving roles and burgeoning presence of women. The fitness industry serves as a prime example of this evolution. Historically, the fitness world mirrored many other sectors, with men predominantly occupying the roles...

March 21, 2024

Lululemon Posted Strong Q4 Results but Guides to Slower Q1 Growth

Lululemon Athletica, Inc. CEO Calvin McDonald said the company was pleased with the solid finish for its 2023 fiscal year and continues to deliver ahead of its Power of Three ×2 strategy. Net revenue increased 16 percent to $3.2 billion. International net revenue increased 54 percent, or 56 percent on...

March 21, 2024

Caitlin Clark may already make the WNBA a lot more money before even going pro

The 2023 NCAA Championship game between Iowa and LSU was by far the most-watched game on record — garnering an average viewership of nearly 10 million — and this has parlayed into strong viewership numbers throughout the 2024 regular season. But while the first round of March Madness is only...

March 21, 2024

Lindsey Vonn Invests In SLC’s New Women’s Professional Soccer Team

On Friday, three-time Olympic medalist Lindsey Vonn announced her investment to the National Women’s Soccer League 2024 expansion side Utah Royals FC, a decision that is sure to empower women in sports worldwide. Now, being a part owner of the club, Vonn posted to Instagram that "women in sports is a movement,...

March 15, 2024

Angel City For Sale: NWSL’S Most Valuable Team Seeks New Owner

The NWSL’s most valuable franchise may soon have a new owner. The board of Angel City FC has hired Moelis & Company to explore a control sale of the franchise, according to multiple people familiar with the plan. The process follows tension between some board members over team governance, said the...

March 14, 2024

More women’s basketball coaches are making at least $1M annually, but some say not enough

According to USA TODAY Sports' review of women’s college basketball head coaches compensation, 18 are making at least $1M annually, up from 11 in 2022. USA Today

March 14, 2024

San Diego Wave being sold for league record $113 million

The San Diego Wave are being sold in a deal that places the club's value at $113 million, Sportico reported Thursday. Billionaire Ron Burkle is selling the club to the Levine Leichtman family in a two-part deal that could later place the transaction at $120 million. Burkle paid a $2...

March 14, 2024

Vans Product Chief Marissa Pardini to Exit Brand as VF Corp. Challenges Continue

Marissa Pardini, chief product and merchandising officer at Vans, has confirmed with FN that she will be leaving the brand at the end of March. The news was first reported by Shop Eat Surf (SES). The VF-owned skate brand hired Pardini in September 2022 for its chief product and merchandising officer role, which she assumed months...

March 7, 2024

Women’s Sports Foundation Celebrates 50th Anniversary

The Women’s Sports Foundation (WSF) will celebrate its 50th anniversary on May 2, and will be commemorating the accomplishment all year. When any not-for-profit even reaches the golden milestone of 50 years, it’s an incredible feat. But the WSF has not only existed, it has thrived, grown, and inspired change....

March 7, 2024

Revolutionary Web App ‘Lodestar’ Sets New Standard for Sustainable Outdoor Recreation

McCALL, ID (Thursday, March 7, 2024) /SPORTSWIRE WOMEN/ - Lodestar will be celebrating International Women’s Day on Friday, March 8, 2024 by proudly unveiling its groundbreaking web app. The Lodestar app is a do-it-all outdoor adventure platform with environmental stewardship built in. Lodestar is a women-led company built on the...

March 6, 2024

Women’s sport to see increased M&A activity as more investors ‘begin to take note’

The global women’s sports market will see more investment activity and attract an expanding group of investors this year, according to Deloitte’s 2024 Sports Investment Outlook report. Firm expects more investor classes, including institutional investors, private equity funds and high net worth individuals, to ‘begin to take note’ of women’s sport’s...

March 5, 2024

WNBA to use optical tracking to enhance player analysis

The WNBA will become the first women's professional sports league in the U.S. to have league-wide optical tracking after entering a multi-year deal with Second Spectrum, a Genius Sports technology solution. With this deal, the WNBA will have access to 3D tracking data that will allow teams to use real-time...

February 29, 2024

New Billie Jean King Award will honor excellence in women’s sports coverage. What to know

The Associated Press Sports Editors, the APSE Foundation and King announced the creation of the Billie Jean King Award for Excellence in Women’s Sports Coverage. The annual prize will be awarded as part of a contest administered by APSE and the APSE Foundation. It will recognize excellence in reporting and writing...

February 28, 2024

Hettas, A New Women’s Running Shoe Brand is Investing in Women’s Running Research

Canadian brand Hettas is funding research on female running biomechanics in order to advance the sport–and help enhance its shoes, too. Hettas' goal was to create a product that would allow more women to stay active longer in life. Their shoes were made keeping anatomical differences between male and female...

February 27, 2024

Even as healthtech investments fell in 2023, funding to women’s health grew 5%

According to a report out from Deloitte on Tuesday, investments in women’s health startups grew 5% between 2022 and 2023, even as venture funding in the overall health tech market fell 27% in the same time period. $481 million was invested in these companies in 2023, rebounding after investments in women's health fell 27% in...

February 27, 2024

Only bar in Minnesota dedicated to women’s sports opens Friday

Owner Jillian Hiscock's new endeavor is the first bar dedicated to women's sports in the state, modeled after The Sports Bra that opened a couple years ago in Portland, Oregon. A Bar of Their Own opens two days after basketball phenom Caitlin Clark and the Hawkeyes take on the Gophers...

February 27, 2024

How Ally made the biggest men’s sports event of the year about women

Ahead of this year’s Super Bowl, a group of more than 100 CMOs, media execs, and leaders from sports teams and leagues like the NWSL, MLS, and Nascar met to discuss something other than the big game. Participants were focused on the women’s game—not just women’s football, but women’s sports...