The Business Case For Women's Sports

In episode #82 of 🎙️The Business Case For Women’s Sports, presented by Ally, meet Jamie Mittelman, the Founder & Host of Flame Bearers which is the first global storytelling platform to illuminate the unsung stories of resilient women Olympians & Paralympians.🏆

Through their popular podcast, video and live events, Flame Bearers gives women Olympians & Paralympians a platform to share their trials and triumphs, discuss what life is like outside the games, and bring unique perspectives to their stories. 

Jamie started Flame Bearers after recognizing how little media coverage women in sports receive. 📺

Jamie believes that “if you can see it, you can be it” - so Flame Bearers exists to ensure that girls & boys have role models who look like and sound like them at the highest level of sports.⚡️

In this episode, hear Jamie tell the story behind the creation of Flame Bearers, and hear more about how Jamie and her team are gearing up to tell more stories of Olympians and Paralympians around the 2024 Paris Olympics.🏆

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In episode #81 of 🎙️The Business Case For Women’s Sports, presented by Ally, meet women’s sports leader & legend, Ilana Kloss.

Ilana and her long-time partner, Billie Jean King, have been fighting on behalf of women in sports for decades.💪

Currently, Ilana serves as the CEO of Billie Jean King Enterprises, a part owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Angel City Football Club, the Chair of the Board of the Billie Jean King Cup Limited, a member of the Women’s Sports Foundation’s Executive Board, and a member of the Board of the PWHL.

From 2001-2018, Ilana was the CEO & Commissioner of World TeamTennis, and as an athlete, Ilana was a world No. 1 doubles player and US Open doubles champion.🎾

In this episode, hear Ilana talk about her incredible journey through sports, and share some insights around how she and Billie Jean have been so effective in their work over the last 50+ years to trail-blaze on behalf of women in sports.⚡️

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In episode #80 of 🎙️The Business Case For Women’s Sports, presented by Ally, we sat down with Jennifer Haskel, the Insights Lead for Deloitte’s Sports Business Group.

A new report from Deloitte came out that predicts that for the first time in history, women’s professional sports will generate over $1 billion in global revenue.

The growth of women’s sports is happening quickly: per Deloitte, the industry saw $695 million in revenue in 2022, $981 million in 2023, and now is projected to see $1.28 billion in global revenue in 2024.

In this episode, hear Jennifer & Caroline discuss the methodology behind this glass-shattering projection, and dig into the huge opportunity ahead for the women’s sports industry to scale to incredible new heights.💰

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In episode #79 of 🎙️The Business Case For Women’s Sports, presented by Ally, Caroline sat down with Leela Srinivasan, the new CEO at Parity. 

Parity is on a mission to close the gender income & opportunity gap in professional sports by developing high-impact collaborations between brands, professional women athletes and their fans.💰

Less than a year in as Parity’s CEO, Leela has hit the ground running bringing her incredible expertise in marketing, business development, tech, and so much more to the table on behalf of women athletes.

In this episode, hear Leela & Caroline discuss Parity’s work as the only at-scale platform that offers brands the opportunity to partner specifically with professional women athletes, and hear Leela’s vision for taking the organization to new heights. 🚀

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In episode #78 of 🎙️The Business Case For Women’s Sports, presented by Ally, meet Jacqie McWilliams Parker, the Commissioner of the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA). 

Commissioner McWilliams-Parker has been leading the CIAA for the last 11 years - a role she took on after holding various leadership roles within college athletics over the last 30 years including spending nine years at the NCAA managing championships for Divisions I, II and III.

Jacqie is the first female to serve as Commissioner for the CIAA and was the first appointed African American female Commissioner representing NCAA Divisions I, II & III. 

In all of the leadership positions she’s held throughout sports, Jacqie has always fought on behalf of women athletes and women in sport. 

In this episode, hear Jacqie share more about her incredible journey as a leader in sports, and why she believes that it’s simply good business to respect and value women in sports.

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In episode #77 of 🎙️The Business Case For Women’s Sports, presented by Ally, Caroline sat down with Ramsey Baker, the SVP at Aggregate Sports.

A new survey from Aggregate Sports, in collaboration with market research platform Suzy, found that general sports fans overwhelmingly think brands should support women's sports. 

A sample of 1,000 general sports fans (ages 18-65) were polled with the goal of better understanding current consumer perceptions around women’s sports. 

The survey found that: 

🎾 77% of fans believe that brands should sponsor women’s sports.

🤝 74% of fans believe that brands should sponsor sports equally for women and men.

🏆 62% of fans feel better about brands that sponsor women’s sports.

In this episode, hear Ramsey & Caroline discuss these findings, and talk about how these shifting perceptions around women’s sports demonstrate just how big the business opportunity can be for brands who embrace women’s sports sponsorship opportunities.💰

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LIVE from the Ally Tipoff, hear from Andrea Brimmer the Chief Marketing and PR Officer at Ally Financial.⚡️ 

We recorded episode 76 of 🎙️The Business Case For Women’s Sports, presented by Ally, at the Spectrum Center in North Carolina right before the start of the first-ever Ally Tipoff.

The Ally Tipoff was created in collaboration with Ally and the Charlotte Sports Foundation to bring more attention to the start of the women’s college basketball season. 🏟️

The event featured a high-profile match-up between Iowa vs. Virginia Tech - two of last year’s Final Four teams as they began their seasons and journeys to the National Championship. 

By the numbers: 

🤯15,196 fans attended 

📈 It was the most-attended women's college basketball game ever in North Carolina 📈

🏀It was highest attended regular season game in Virginia Tech program history

In this episode, hear Andrea and Caroline discuss Ally’s game-changing leadership & strategy to invest in women’s sports - which includes creating the first-ever Ally Tipoff. 

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In episode #75 of 🎙️The Business Case For Women’s Sports, presented by Ally, Caroline interviews Jennifer Yepez-Blundell & Karina Martinez, the Co-Founders of DRAFTED.

DRAFTED is a sports tech company created specifically by and for Latinas that celebrates Latinas in the world of sports and harnesses the power of Latinx sports fans. 

Fueled by their personal lived-experiences, passion, and expertise, Jennifer & Karina decided to build an industry-disrupting platform to serve as a hub that connects the sports world with the pulse of Latinx culture. 

Jennifer & Karina believe that Latina sports fans are one of the most exciting and underserved customer segments in all of sports, so they’re on a mission to demonstrate the social and economic value that comes with investing in Latinas in sports. 

In this episode, hear Jennifer & Karina share the story behind why they decided to start DRAFTED, and make the business case for why it’s good business to prioritize Latina sports fans. 

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In episode #74 of 🎙️The Business Case For Women’s Sports, presented by Ally, meet Colleen Garrity - the SVP of Marketing at Excel Sports Management. 

In her role, Colleen leads Excel’s basketball marketing division & oversees marketing initiatives for both women's and men's basketball which includes working closely with both established players and emerging talents specifically in women's basketball.

Notably, Colleen and her team recently signed Iowa superstar Caitlin Clark to their roster of women’s basketball athletes. 

Before signing with Excel, Clark’s family was exclusively handling the management of her extensive line-up of partnerships with brands like Nike, Topps, and State Farm, but now, Colleen and her team will be taking the reins and managing Caitlin’s business affairs. 

In this episode, hear Caroline and Colleen discuss what it’s been like working with Caitlin Clark and why it’s good business to invest in women’s basketball. 

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In episode #73 of 🎙️The Business Case For Women’s Sports, presented by Ally, Caroline interviews Meghann Burke, the Executive Director of the National Women’s Soccer League Players Association (NWSLPA).

As the labor union of NWSL players, the goal of the NWSLPA is to elevate professional standards in NWSL so that every player can pursue a long-lasting, sustainable, and fulfilling career as a professional soccer player. 

In her role leading the union, Meghann serves as a voice and advocate of the players, which includes serving as the collective bargaining representative of NWSL players. 

In this episode, hear Meghann talk more about everything that the NWSLPA has achieved since its inception in 2017 - including negotiating a landmark CBA agreement in 2022 - and listen to Meghann share more about all of the ways that her team fights on behalf of NWSL players every single day.  

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In episode #72 of 🎙️The Business Case For Women’s Sports, presented by Ally, meet Ally Davis & Melissa Forman, the founders of Impakt Partners. 

Impakt Partners is a purpose-led women’s sports media company that is working to  accelerate positive change by telling and amplifying incredible stories about inspiring female athletes.

Impakt Partners is co-founded by Melissa Forman and Allyson (Ally) Davis - tenured sports media professionals who are acclaimed film and television producers, directors, media executives and marketers with a deep diverse network of creative professionals.

Melissa & Ally understand the sports media business and now want to help key stakeholders increase growth, revenue and market relevance through women’s sports storytelling. 

In this episode, hear Ally & Melissa tell the story behind the creation of Impakt Partners, and share their expertise around why meaningful storytelling is one of the best ways we can create equity in sport.⚡

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In episode #71 of 🎙️The Business Case For Women’s Sports, presented by Ally, hear the story behind a new sportswear company, SPRHRA.

Marina Paul is on a mission to create more female superheroes - or SPRHRAs. As a lifelong athlete, Marina realized a gap in sports apparel for female athletes. 

After interviewing 150+ high-performing female athletes from all different sports, she realized most female athletes had the same concerns. 

Marina realized that female athletes waste significant time and energy re-adjusting their sports apparel to fit them since historically, there has been very little sportswear built for how female athletes play, move, and live. 

As a result, Marina set-out to create SPRHRA and eliminate the restrictions placed on female athletes.

In this episode, hear Marina tell the story of behind the creation of SPRHRA, and what’s it's like starting an innovative business with a mission of empowering women athletes everywhere.⚡

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In episode #70 of 🎙️The Business Case For Women’s Sports, presented by Ally, meet Paralympic gold medalist, advocate, and author, Scout Bassett. 

Scout recently authored her first book, titled, “Lucky Girl: Lessons on Overcoming Odds and Building a Limitless Future.” 

In this book, Scout shares the lessons she’s learned battling the toughest challenges facing young women today.

As an infant in China, Scout survived a fire that took her right leg. 

She spent the next seven years in an orphanage before being adopted and whisked away to the United States, where she felt foreign in every way. 

Though she defied the odds and became a gold medalist and world-record holder, Scout fought against adversity her entire life—and mostly off the track. 

In Lucky Girl, Scout shares ten lessons she’s learned to help readers overcome some of the most difficult challenges in life today. 

In this episode, hear Scout share more about Lucky Girl, and why she believes investing in women is the way to lift up all of society.

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In episode #69 of 🎙️The Business Case For Women’s Sports, presented by Ally, meet Andrea Pagnanelli, the CEO of the National Cycling League.

Andrea has had an incredible journey through sports - both personally & professionally.⚽️

From playing soccer at Brown, to working in the NFL, the VC space and within the NWSL, all of Andrea’s experiences in sports have prepared her for a new challenge: leading the newly launched National Cycling League.⚡

Founded in 2022, the National Cycling League (NCL) is working to transform professional cycling into a world-class spectator sport.

For a long time, the Tour de France has been the only widely popular cycling event for spectators to engage with.

Now, the NCL is aiming to create races for both cyclists and fans alike in the U.S., hosting events in Miami Beach, Denver, and Atlanta. 🚴‍♀️

In this episode, hear Andrea talk about the NCL’s plans to revolutionize the sport of cycling by making it more available and inclusive for all.

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In episode #68 of 🎙️The Business Case For Women’s Sports, presented by Ally, meet Kate Veronneau - one of the incredible leaders behind the creation of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift. 🚴‍♀️

Kate is the Director of Women’s Strategy at Zwift - which is an online cycling game & training program that enables users to ride, train and compete in a virtual world.

Used by over 3 million cyclists & athletes around the world, Zwift is one of the most beloved brands in cycling. 🚴‍♀️

In her role, Kate focuses primarily on existing & potential female users of Zwift, and works on initiatives that serve and attract more women to the Zwift platform. ⚡️

One of the major initiatives that Kate has spearheaded is the launch of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift - which is the dedicated women’s version of the iconic cycling race. 🏆

In this episode, listen to the story of Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift from idea to inception, and hear why Zwift continues to make strategic investment in women’s sports.⚡

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In episode #67 of 🎙️The Business Case For Women’s Sports, presented by Ally, Caroline interviews Samantha Ward & Meghan O’Donnell - two seasoned sports industry professionals & entrepreneurs that recently launched a platform called empowHERed.

Launched in 2023, empowHERed exists to create more opportunities for women in the sports industry through professional development, mentorship, networking, and mental health resources.

Meghan & Samantha are passionate about creating a sports world that is welcoming, safe and inclusive of women because they know how overwhelming it can be to break into, advance, or even just exist as a woman in sports.

Through empowHERed, they’re providing women with more professional development resources so they can excel within sports.

In this episode, listen to the story behind empowHERed, and why Meghan & Samantha believe that helping women excel professionally in sports is one of the keys to creating a more equitable sports world.⚡

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In episode #66 of 🎙️The Business Case For Women’s Sports, presented by Ally, Caroline interviews Vered Koren - an AVP at Wasserman. 

In the last few months, Vered and the team at The Collective at Wasserman have been busy at work publishing game-changing women’s sports research. 

This summer, the team published a report called “The New Economy of Sport – The Unparalleled Value of Professional Women Athletes” which contains incredible insights around the economic and social value associated with investing in women athletes. 

The #GOAL of the report is to give commercial partners all the rationale needed for driving significant impact through alignment with women athletes. 

The key takeaways include:

📲 Women athletes drive 2x more engagement on social media than men athletes. 

🛒 Fans of women's sports are 54% more aware of brand sponsors and are 45% more likely to consider or purchase from a brand sponsor compared to men's sports. 

In this episode, listen to Vered and Caroline discuss the findings of the full report, and make the business case for why brands should sponsor women athletes.⚡

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In episode #65 of 🎙️The Business Case For Women’s Sports, presented by Ally, we hear from Nancy Hensley - a Founding Member of Mercury 13 - which is a multi-club ownership group that is on a mission to invest $100 million in acquiring women's soccer clubs in Europe and Latin America. 

Led by sports entrepreneur Victoire Cogevina Reynal, Mercury 13 is aiming to become the industry standard of women’s football ownership by identifying the next decade’s super clubs and fueling their commercial power to attract a massive yet underserved market: female football fans.⚽️

First up? Lewes FC - a club from England's second division side which in 2017 became the first to split its budget and resources equally between the men's and women's teams.🔥

In this episode, hear Nancy & Caroline discuss Mercury 13’s #goals, and make the business case for why it’s good business to invest in women’s football. 

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In episode #64 of 🎙️The Business Case For Women’s Sports, presented by Ally, hear from Dominique Wright, the CEO & Founder FAND.

Dominique created FAND after recognizing the many pain points that exist when it comes to connecting brands with college athletes for NIL marketing deals.🤝

FAND works to simplify brand-athlete collaboration by using NIL software to automate communication, streamline notifications, and providing 24/7 athlete customer support.

In this episode, hear Dominique talk about what it has been like building FAND, and how NIL deals are creating more economic opportunities for women athletes.💰

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In episode #63 of 🎙️The Business Case For Women’s Sports, presented by Ally, meet Laura Miranda & Ariana Rae Diverio - the Co-Founders of B. Partners. 

Newly launched, B. Partners is a first-of-its-kind consulting agency, specializing in brand-building and revenue generation.

B. Partners is a female and minority-founded commercial consulting group specializing in accelerating growth for consumer brands and commercial properties. 

Their unique approach to business delivers exponential revenue results using assets that are often overlooked - which includes women's sports. 

Laura & Ariana are on a mission to generate $1 billion in total projected earnings in the next 5 years for their clients - and their hope is that a big portion of that goes into the women’s sports ecosystem. 

In this episode, hear Laura and Ariana share the story behind the creation of B. Partners, and why they believe in the power of partnerships to change the game for women in sports.

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