Holger Hansen’s Post

The momentum in women's sports doesn't stop or start with Caitlin Clark. For Sports Business Journal, I took a deep dive into viewership trends, sponsorship opportunities and brand investment into leagues like the WNBA (Women's National Basketball Association), the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL), college volleyball, softball and more. From Brian Lawlor at The E.W. Scripps Company Sports: "It's really hard to be a women’s sports fan in America. It’s just hard to find, and there’s no consistency on where to find these games.” The Walt Disney Company's Rita Ferro gives massive credit to Ally Financial Group's Andrea Brimmer for helping raise the tide. "It’s exciting to see what one person has pushed a marketplace to do, and now you’re seeing many others," said Ferro. Optimum Sports is seeing many clients with heavy interest in women's sports, and Octagon's Daniel Cohen says: "There’s finally a spotlight put on them, not just from a broadcaster perspective, but from a mainstream, cross-the-cultural-divide perspective." Women's sports are not just great, it's also just good business.

Thank you Suffolk University - Sawyer Business School and David Rader for hosting and taking the time to speak with us and share your experience and insight on the changing sports landscape. He covered topics ranging from AI, stadiums, private equity in sports, and the overall shifting sports ecosystem. Artificial intelligence is slowly but surely becoming more incorporated into our lives. David talked about how AI has made pumping out sports content easier than ever before, and how our habits and past choices are being used to keep us engaged. He covered Smart Stadiums, and that when a franchise chooses to build a new stadium it is not just a stadium, but rather they are creating entertainment districts now. The Tennessee Titans released the 3D model renderings of their new stadium, and they are following exactly what David had mentioned and what Robert Kraft started with the mall around Gillette stadium. Another interesting point was the shift we are seeing and the involvement of private equity in sports. In the past few years, there have been more ownership changes than I can previously remember. Many of the new owners are operating their franchises more as a business, cutting down on waste, and more focusing on what garners their attention as a team. When I think of this the Brooklyn Nets come to mind, not because they have changed ownership, but because of their approach towards short-form content and having their team be seen beyond their regular fan base; similar to how a business what's as many eyes on them as possible. Lastly, he talked about the ecosystem shifting as a whole. In an era where more and more people are cutting cable and moving to streaming services, how does this affect the sports world? He talked a lot about the increase in sponsorships, and the increased value we now place on social media content. Leagues have had to adapt to providing content for free or cheaply to reach younger viewers, this has allowed for more sponsorship opportunities as these leagues search to fill that revenue gap. Over the past couple of years teams and leagues have needed to invest more capital into social media and making sure their content can reach as many people as possible. Social media accounts for many of these teams have been more active in trends, and in general, have been willing to take risks in how they reach people than before. Again, huge thanks to David Rader, for sharing his insight and making us think about the ever-changing sports landscape a little bit differently. https://lnkd.in/eQa6rGxZ

More brands officially investing in the W? You know we love to see it! 🤩⁣ • For more sports biz wins like this one, subscribe to our free, 3x-weekly sports biz newsletter here: https://lnkd.in/eYH82ywF •⁣ New Balance and the WNBA (Women's National Basketball Association) today announced a multiyear agreement aimed at elevating women’s sports and inspiring the next generation of fans and athletes alike. 🙌⁣ •⁣ This new relationship with the WNBA will enable New Balance to expand its presence in basketball, alongside an organization renowned for advocating for women’s sports. The deal tips off midway through the season, just ahead of WNBA All-Star 2024, coinciding with the arrival of one of the most exciting draft classes, which will help in further amplifying women’s basketball like never before. 🤝⁣ •⁣ The partnership will establish New Balance as an official partner of the WNBA. Together, both brands will continue to push the boundaries of sport and transform the game through grassroots initiatives aimed at growing youth basketball and authentic community engagement. 📈⁣ •⁣ As part of the deal, New Balance will create authentic broadcast, digital and retail content featuring New Balance athlete and WNBA rookie Cameron Brink. Cameron, the second-overall selection in the WNBA Draft 2024 presented by State Farm, signed an NIL deal with New Balance in 2023. ⁣ •⁣ The partnership enables Cameron to continue empowering young athletes to fearlessly overcome obstacles and pursue their dreams, both in basketball and in life. 💪⁣ •⁣ Who else is stoked for this partnership? 🙋♀️

The trajectory of women’s sports is on the rise. Viewership is increasing, revenue numbers are kicking down records, and investment continues to soar. In 2024, revenue from major women’s sports is projected to surpass $1 billion for the first time. Kansas City is poised to play a prominent part in the growth of women’s pro sports in 2024 and beyond.

The recent explosion in coverage of women’s sports demonstrates there is unquestionably an audience for the product. At long last, these elite athletes are beginning to gain recognition that mirrors their talent and status as an inspiration to millions of aspiring pros. Popularity isn’t the only metric that’s on the rise, however. A recent Wall Street Journal story took a look at how the increasing appeal of women’s sports has translated into bigger marketing and promotional partnerships with leading brands eager to capitalize on the swelling audiences. To quantify that trend, consider the data provided in the story; women’s (elite) sports are expected to generate approximately $1.3B in revenue this year. In 2022, that figure was roughly half, $692M. About 55 percent of that total stems from commercial deals, demonstrating the exponential growth. While that estimate refers to the overarching umbrella of women’s sports, the WSJ story describes how individual franchises in women’s sports leagues have greater negotiating power than ever before, allowing them to lock in deals with more favorable terms. A rising tide lifts all ships. At a surface level, the takeaway is that women’s sports are finally getting deserved attention after a long road of being overlooked, marginalized, and derided. That is most certainly true, but going deeper, this is a reminder that talent may be held back by nothing more than a lack of opportunity. Ensuring that every member of the team is afforded opportunity is how you develop the future pipeline and build a culture of belonging. As a leader, it is incumbent upon us to nurture talent and to provide opportunities for growth and achievement, even if that does not conform to business as usual. The payoff could be more than you ever imagined. #everyonewatcheswomenssports Read more via WSJ: https://lnkd.in/er-z4czn

Some exciting news in the world of top-tier football, with Women's Super League and Women's Championship clubs agreeing to form a club-owned organisation that will run women's professional football in England from the 2024-25 season. One to watch in the coming months! In addition, a positive outlook for 2024 in the Deloitte TMT Predictions 👇 Still work to do at grassroots and non-league levels, but incredible progress in terms of commercial growth and sponsorship opportunities, that will in turn (we hope) shine a light on the challenges and opportunities for women’s sport, across the entire eco-system. Highlights for me: 💲 Football/soccer and basketball projected to be the two most valuable women's sports, making up over 70% of the total value. ⚽ 🏌♀️ 🎾 Global competitions like the Women's World Cup, LPGA tour, and WTA tour expected to contribute 33% of total value. 💰 Sponsorship - For every $1 spent sponsoring women's sports, sponsors see over $7 in customer value generated. Some LPGA sponsors saw 400% return in media value. 👕 Commercial income will have the biggest impact on women's sports revenue growth in the near term. This includes sponsorships, retail, licensing and other non-broadcast revenues. 🙌 Unbundling - 38% of global professional women's football clubs have a main sponsor just for the women's team. 25% have women's team-only kit sponsors. This is expected to increase. 📺   Broadcast rights renewals coming up are expected to deliver significant uplifts in value. ✏ Telling female athletes' stories off the field of play, especially via digital platforms, can help attract new fans and participants. Really looking forward to 2024 at WePlay and helping our clients in women’s sport achieve successful growth, with a particular focus on delivering our framework for Purposeful Partnerships. #sportsmarketing #womensports #growth #sustainabilityinsport

Sports Specialist Raine is one major beneficiary of surging sports deals “We believe sports is the most valuable form of content in the shifting media ecosystem and not only will media rights continue to increase, but forms of sports monetization will multiply” Raine’s work last year put it neck-and-neck with another Wall Street powerhouse on sports M&A : battle for sports mandates is only likely to intensify, as more firms move in to grab a slice of the burgeoning market : Wall Street Hunts Sports Fees After Record $25 Billion in Deals : Goldman Sachs, Raine and JPM lead advisory rankings in the sector: 2023 was third year of record-breaking values for sports M&A : Sports Specialist Raine is one major beneficiary of surging sports deals “We believe sports is the most valuable form of content in the shifting media ecosystem and not only will media rights continue to increase, but forms of sports monetization will multiply” Raine’s work last year put it neck-and-neck with another Wall Street powerhouse on sports M&A : battle for sports mandates is only likely to intensify, as more firms move in to grab a slice of the burgeoning market : Hollywood talent scouts Creative Artists Agency teamed up with Wall Street rainmaker Michael Klein to launch CAA Evolution, an advisory firm dedicated to the sports, media and entertainment industries “Sport is much more investable than it ever was” “The investment banks see they have to service a growing asset base” Goldman Sachs run a new investment banking team to help wealthy clients invest in sports “Advising and financing our clients in the sector plays an important part of our overall investment banking franchise as the interest in sports continues to grow across the globe” “A lot of savvy investors, sovereign wealth funds, high-net-worth individuals and even private equity now look at sport as something interesting and profitable “Enterprise values for sports teams have continued to rise at remarkable rates, especially in football” Wall Street’s leading dealmakers are competing for fees in everything from football to cage fighting, after takeover activity in the world of professional sports hit new heights : Specialist advisers such as Raine Group, Moelis & Co. and Rothschild & Co. are also in on the act, going toe-to-toe with larger rivals on the biggest deals “The sports sector is now seen as an asset class in its own right, which saw plenty of activity in what was a relatively quiet year for dealmaking across the board”

Sports business just got a wake-up call. The Walt Disney Company CEO Bob Iger and wife Willow Bay are nearing a deal to acquire a controlling stake in Angel City Football Club at a reported $300M valuation. This isn't just another rich guy buying a sports toy - it's a watershed moment for women's soccer and the broader sports landscape. The numbers: 💰 $300M valuation - 2.5x higher than the previous National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) record (San Diego Wave Fútbol Club, $120M) 🤑 $50M+ expected investment from Iger-Bay group 📈 $31M estimated annual revenue for Angel City FC This comes on the heels of other major NWSL moves: 🔘 Portland Thorns FC: $63M sale (Jan 2024) 🔘 Chicago Red Stars: $60M sale (2023) 🔘 Bay FC expansion fee: $53M The takeaway? Women's soccer isn't just growing - it's exploding. Smart money sees the potential. The question now: who will be first to truly unlock the global merchandising and media rights potential of women's club soccer?

⚽️[Sports Biz News]🇺🇸 Nucor Partners with Carolina Ascent FC: Empowering Communities and Sports👏 Carolina Ascent FC, part of the newly established USL Super League, has announced Nucor Corporation, an American steel company, as their inaugural home kit sponsor. Nucor is a Fortune 150 company based in Charlotte, and is the largest producer of steel and steel products, as well as the largest recycler in North America. This partnership holds significant value from a sports marketing perspective. By supporting a sports team, large companies like Nucor not only enhance their brand recognition but also strengthen ties with the local community. Particularly in the Carolina region, collaboration with local businesses can increase the club's visibility and expand its fan base. This partnership allows Nucor to connect with a wider audience, creating a sense of community and shared goals. Furthermore, from a CSR and ESG marketing standpoint, this partnership is crucial. Nucor, as a leader in sustainable steel production, demonstrates its commitment to environmental protection and sustainability. Through this collaboration with Carolina Ascent FC, Nucor can widely promote its dedication to community contribution and environmentally friendly business models, thereby further enhancing its brand image. This partnership is not just about sports; it’s about making a lasting impact on the community and the environment. The announcement of this partnership comes at an exciting time for Carolina Ascent FC as they prepare for their inaugural season. The team, which is part of the new USL Super League, aims to elevate women's soccer in the region, providing new opportunities for female athletes and inspiring the next generation. The support from a major corporation like Nucor underscores the potential for growth and development within the league and the sport as a whole. Nucor’s investment in Carolina Ascent FC reflects a broader trend of corporations recognizing the value of supporting women's sports. This move is likely to encourage other companies to follow suit, further boosting the visibility and viability of women's professional soccer. The partnership between Nucor and Carolina Ascent FC sets a precedent for how sports teams and corporations can work together to achieve mutual benefits, including enhanced brand loyalty, increased engagement, and a positive social impact. With the inaugural season set to kick off in August, both Nucor and Carolina Ascent FC are poised to make a significant impact both on and off the field. This collaboration is a testament to the power of sports in uniting communities and driving positive change.  #glocalsportsnews #sportsmarketing #sportsnews #sportsbusiness #marketing #branding #pr #brandingstrategy #marketingstrategy #prstrategy #businessstrategy #advertising #carolinaascentfc #nucor #uslsuperleague #womenssoccer #communityengagement #csr #esg #charlotte

The rise of professional women’s sports is hard to ignore. Unless you’re a Fortune 500 company. New data shows the vast majority of the U.S.’s biggest companies are not spending their ad dollars on women’s pro sports.  Only 33 companies in the Fortune 500 (6%) have league or team sponsorship deals with the WNBA, NWSL, and PWHL as of June 30, according to data provided exclusively to Front Office Sports by consulting agency Gather. Twenty percent of Fortune 500 companies sponsor comparable men’s sports leagues (NBA, MLS, and NHL). “There was nothing surprising to me about that,” says David Gaspar, the head of innovation at Gather. “It confirmed that there’s a disparity; however, there is a tremendous amount of optimism in the data. Those companies that decided to sponsor women’s sports are really doing it in a pretty big way, and they’re really putting energy behind it.” Ally Financial is one of the more notable examples among that 6% of Fortune 500 companies that sponsor women’s sports. Over two years ago, Ally launched its 50/50 Pledge with the aim of parity in ad dollars spent in men’s and women’s sports. https://lnkd.in/ds3QBw5f