The GIST

Disney+ acquires European rights for Women’s Champions League as streamers snatch up women’s sports

Last week, Disney+ acquired the European rights for the Women’s Champions League through a five-year deal. The news is indicative of a wider trend of streaming interest in women’s sports, which offers both pros and cons for the women’s sports space.

June 02, 2025

Alex Cooper’s Unwell breaks onto NWSL pitch amid rise in non-alcoholic beverages sponsorships

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Last Friday, the NWSL and Alex Cooper’s Unwell — the league’s new hydration partner — announced Unwell FC, an interactive fan program at select NWSL games this season. This follows the trend of beverage brands getting into women’s sports sponsorships, something marketers should lean into as they look for creative ways to stand out.

May 12, 2025

New SponsorPulse insights reveal opportunity for activation among Canadian women’s soccer fans

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Last Friday, sports data insights platform SponsorPulse made the case for why Canada is primed for women’s soccer fandom. The latest data affirms that even though Canadian interest in the sport is surging, the North remains an oft-overlooked market for American companies looking to reach soccer fans.

May 05, 2025

NWSL shares proposal for second-tier affiliate league as U.S. soccer pyramid flourishes

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Last week, it was announced that the NWSL, per CBS Sports, formally applied to the U.S. Soccer Federation (USSF) to create a new Division II league in 2026. The timing is interesting, as it comes on the heels of big shake-ups in the U.S. soccer pyramid. Let’s recap and dig into the business opportunity for brands and owners alike.

April 28, 2025

Gainbridge announces USL Super League title partnership as U.S. women’s soccer pyramid expands

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Digital insurance company Gainbridge made a major play by teaming up with the United Soccer League (USL) yesterday. The USL’s Super League is now called the Gainbridge Super League, the first-ever title partnership for a U.S. pro soccer league. The partnership illustrates how brands are starting to recognize opportunities at all levels of the flourishing U.S. soccer pyramid.

April 23, 2025

Relo Metrics adds NWSL sponsorship insights to its data suite

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Yesterday, AI–powered sports marketing data insights platform Relo Metrics officially added NWSL data to its Relo Census product, which the company touts as a must-have tool for marketers. By adding the soccer league’s data, brands can now see the ROI of NWSL sponsorships in real time, which will likely encourage even more investment in the league.

April 23, 2025

Chelsea reports record valuation for women’s soccer team amid club restructuring

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This week, Chelsea F.C. shared financial results for the 2023–2024 season, including the valuation for its women’s side. With Chelsea reorganizing its women’s team under subsidiary BlueCo 22 Midco Limited, the WSL club is reportedly worth $257M, making it the highest-valued women’s soccer team in the world — and topping Angel City FC’s $250M valuation.

April 07, 2025

Sports Business

U.S. and UK will bring FIFA Women’s World Cup tournaments to top women’s soccer markets

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April 04, 2025

Yesterday, FIFA confirmed the hosts for the 2031 and 2035 Women’s World Cup (WWC) tournaments in 2031 and 2035 as the U.S. and the UK, respectively. While these nations were the only ones to submit valid bids by the deadline, the confirmation is still a significant milestone for both burgeoning women’s soccer markets.

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The GIST of It Podcast

Ep #469

Holy airball: Half-empty stadiums at the FIFA Club World Cup

June 19, 2025

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Holy airball: Half-empty stadiums at the FIFA Club World Cup

Wait, what’s happening right now?

It’s the FIFA Club World Cup. The first-of-its-kind tournament could have been a smashing success, especially in the lead up to next year’s World Cup hosted in North America — but with empty seats making headlines, it’s been anything but. On today’s episode of The GIST of It, co-hosts Ellen Hyslop and Steph Rotz explain what the tournament is before investigating why it’s a flub and what that might mean for next year’s FIFA World Cup.

This episode was brought to you by Amazon Business, the ultimate partner for smart business buying. Amazon Business offers a one-stop shop for all of your business needs, helping companies of all shapes and sizes simplify their purchasing process. Learn more by checking out business.amazon.com today.

A big thank you to our friends at the LPGA for sponsoring today’s episode. In case you didn’t know, the LPGA is the longest-running women’s professional sports organization in the world, and they’re celebrating their 75th anniversary this year. To learn more about how the LPGA is growing the women’s game, check out the link in the show notes.