BUSINESS NEWS

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...

February 26, 2024

UCI hands out suspensions after Cynisca Cycling found guilty of participating ‘in a fraud’

The UCI has suspended members of Cynisca Cycling after the team disguised a mechanic as a rider in an effort to gain entry to last year's Argenta Classic. American team Cynisca were missing one of their five riders due to illness for the road race in Belgium. Mechanic Moira Barrett dressed as...

February 21, 2024

Biden-Harris Administration’s ARPA-H commits $100 million to accelerate women’s health research

As the first major deliverable of the White House Initiative on Women’s Health Research, the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H), an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), announced the ARPA-H Sprint for Women’s Health, which commits $100 million towards transformative research and development...

February 21, 2024

ESPN and Athletes Unlimited Sign Multi-Year Rights Agreement

ESPN will air AU Pro Basketball for the first time; Deal now includes all four athletes unlimited sports Over 70% of games will be distributed on linear TV, with remaining games featured on ESPN+ Reflecting the impressive growth of Athletes Unlimited as well as ESPN’s ongoing commitment to women’s pro...

February 20, 2024

ESPN Reaches Agreement with CONCACAF for W Gold Cup 2024

ESPN has reached an agreement with CONCACAF – the Confederation of North America, Central America Caribbean Association Football – to be the exclusive, Spanish-language home of the inaugural W Gold Cup, a new flagship competition for women’s soccer that will showcase eight of the top teams from the Concacaf region...

February 15, 2024

Nike Is Laying Off 2% of Workforce as Company Works to ‘Right-Size’ Organization

After months of speculation, Nike confirmed late Thursday that it is laying off 2 percent of its workforce. The move comes after the athletic giant revealed in December that it was taking steps to “streamline” the organization and would look to save up to $2 billion in costs over the...

February 13, 2024

Jenny Cavnar Becomes First Female MLB Play-By-Play Announcer

NBC Sports California, the team’s regional sports network, has named Jenny Cavnar as the primary play-by-play announcer for A’s games, making her the first female primary play-by-play voice in the history of Major League Baseball. Cavnar spent the past 12 years as a backup play-by-play announcer, and reporter, as well...

February 13, 2024

Grandstand Expands Platform with First Collective of Professional Women Athlete Partners and Investors

New York, NY, February 13, 2023 /SPORTSWIRE WOMEN/ - Grandstand, the startup bringing the best of the creator economy to sports, today announced the launch of the platform’s first collective of women athletes, offering them an unparalleled avenue for revenue generation and direct engagement with their fanbases. Every Grandstand athlete is...

February 12, 2024

Deckers Brands Names Robin Green as President of HOKA

Deckers Brands (NYSE: DECK), a global leader in designing, marketing, and distributing innovative footwear, apparel, and accessories, today announced that it has named Robin Green as its next President of HOKA, effective immediately. Green will serve on the Executive Leadership Team, reporting directly to Dave Powers, Chief Executive Officer and...

February 8, 2024

Women’s sport viewership grew to record levels in 2023

A total of 46.7 million people viewed 1+ minute of women’s sports on linear TV, a record tally that is almost 1 million more than the previous high, set in 2019. Streaming service viewership also saw a marked growth surrounding major women’s sporting events, most notably soccer’s FIFA Women’s World...

February 7, 2024

Tampa Bay Sun FC Names Parity Official Development Partner to Expand Sponsorship Opportunities and Professional Development for Club and Team Players

New York, NY and Tampa, FL, February 7, 2023 /SPORTSWIRE WOMEN/ - In celebration of National Girls and Women in Sports Day (NGWSD) Tampa Bay Sun FC has announced a new partnership with sports marketing and sponsorship platform  Parity. The partnership will enable the company to share their suite of services...