Marble Collective’s Post

We had the honor of kicking off the 2024 Business of Women’s Sport Summit in NYC, hosted by Deep Blue Sports + Entertainment & Axios in NYC with a qualitative insights study examining current opportunity spaces in women’s sports advertising. It was a sell-out event with consistent energy and buzz the entire day. Our research sparked meaningful conversation throughout the day around sustained growth, innovative investment approaches, authenticity, building sincere connection with audiences, and the importance of continuing to foster an inclusive landscape. It will take a collective and courageous effort to dive beneath the surface of the massive iceberg that is women's sports to fully see and understand the vast ocean waters. In the words of CEO & cofounder of Deep Blue, Laura Correnti, one thing is certain: “We (and women’s sports) are going to need a bigger boat.“ #businessofwomenssportssummit #womenssports #sportsadvertising #womenssportsmarketing #newyork #marketresearch #insights #consumerbehaviour #qualitativeinsights #iceburg

To be in the same room as Aly Wagner, Wendy Schenker, Abbey McKeon, and Laura Ricketts was a "pinch-me" moment 👏 I was fortunate to attend the P33 Chicago x Chicago Red Stars x National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) event last week surrounding the topic of 'Investing in Women's Sports.' Here's what I came away with 🧠 1️⃣ I already knew women's sports are on the rise. Duh, we are women. Major orgs have often framed them as financial burdens. But investors are now taking notice. The WNBA's audience is growing, and global revenues from TV and sponsorship deals are increasing. 2️⃣ Women athletes, owners, and investors are innovating. Success in women's sports has come from creativity and perseverance. Collective ownership models, like Angel City FC's progressive leadership, are flourishing. Athletes are securing better pay, showcasing the power of visibility and advocacy. 3️⃣ Investing in women’s sports changes the game 💯 Supporting where it counts makes a difference. Women understand the significance of investing in each other and the future of the industry. We have the power to elevate women by intentionally choosing where we spend our time and money. Women's sports is where your investment should be. #investinwomen

With an unprecedented surge in interest in women's sports and the Olympics making history with an equal number of men and women competing for the first time, it's time to ask: Are marketers keeping up with this revolutionary shift? Christine Guilfoyle, president of SeeHer, acknowledges the strides made but emphasizes that the journey is far from over. "Every one of those achievements we should celebrate, but we shouldn't allow that celebration to stand in the way of continued progress," she asserts. Discover how marketers need to pivot their focus towards women's sports and athletes. The future of sports marketing is here—are you ready to be a part of it? https://lnkd.in/g3HnQgSg

The first-of-its-kind event Fanatics Fest is set to become one of the largest and most influential events in the sports world. A groundbreaking event that brought together fans, athletes, celebrities, card collectors, big sports brands, and sports legends under one roof. To be exact, over 70,000 people visited Javits Center from August 16-18. SportProsUSA, played a role in bringing the vision of FFNYC to life. We were honored to set the stage—literally—by building the courts that hosted some of the event’s most iconic moments. National Basketball Association (NBA) Brooklyn Nets At its core, FFNYC is all about building dreams—especially for the fans who got to live out their athletic fantasies in the most exciting ways possible. This ethos of dream-building is something we at SportProsUSA understand deeply. "Being part of the first-ever Fanatics Fest Event in New York City is an incredible honor for us at SportProsUSA. This one-of-a-kind event is a testament to the power of sports to unite people and inspire dreams. Our reputation as America’s most trusted court builder is what gets us hired, but it's our passion for building dreams, one court at a time, that drives us. It's always about the people, especially the young sports fans. We're not just setting up courts—we're helping to ignite dreams and create experiences that will last a lifetime." — Thomas Petersen, President and Founder of SportProsUSA. #FanaticsFest #SportsInnovation #BuildingDreams #SportProsUSA #FanExperience #NYCEvent

The bench is getting deeper and more people are taking notice! This past weekend we witnessed another viewership record as the interest in women’s sports soars. Companies are stepping up to join the movement, reaping short term revenue generation, conversion, new customer acquisition, and long term impact. The long-term benefits, the seeds of which we are planting now, will lead to increased girls' sports participation, important career skills (94% of female C-suite executives played sports), sustainable careers, and retirement for professional athletes. The long-term goals are far from won, but we’re watching them grow. We must water them by inspiring girls to get involved with sports at every level. The takeaways? 📣 Fandom is growing. 💪 Athleticism and competition are fierce. 🏆 Brands that understand it’s not about checking boxes are winning. 🙌 Media platforms will win big if they make more room for women’s sports storytelling. ✨ Women and girls are feeling more empowered than ever - let’s keep that growing! #womenssports #impact #Impakt #lfg #storytelling #goals https://lnkd.in/gxigTs4y

Abe Stein is very smart, and so clearly outlines the growth of women's sports in terms of valuation and revenue, and the value of investing now. One of the things I am really eager to see is how women's sports properties navigate and capitalize on this growth and changing fan base. A truism in women's sports has been that there is a small (growing!) but passionate fan base, that rewards the companies that invest. This is true, as evidence by SponsorPulse™'s "The Benchmark Report", which highlights that women's sports are one of the strongest drivers of sponsor favorability. These highly passionate, engaged fans aren't going to go away as women's sports become more mainstream and easier to access by a more casual audience. But the broader fan base will give teams and leagues an opportunity to speak to different kinds of partners: those that are primarily focused on reach, and those that want to drive favorability and consideration. By tracking the growth and attitudes of their audiences, and defining the right metrics for talking to different kinds of sponsors, I think women's sports properties will be best positioned to capitalize on this growth.

I agree with Rege Behe ‘s assessment: things have definitely changed. Women sports bettors are increasing in number over the years. Sports books will will have to cater for this developing market segment! #sportsbetting #womenbettors

Serena & Venus, Nelly & Annika, Simone & Mary Lou, Danica, Alex, Megan & Mia, FloJo, Caitlin, and many more names we know...and don't know have been making women's sports history. Yet when you go to a sports bar or restaurant, you seldom see women's sports on the boob tube. Well, now the Sports Bra (yes, you read that correctly - GREAT name) is changing that tune. Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/ekxgBPgQ #brandbuilding #brandname #womenssports

Alexis Ohanian Sr.'s bold vision for the future of sports goes beyond just rethinking competition—it’s a calculated bet on culture. By focusing on ATHLOS, he’s banking on a key driver: WOMEN - more hyper-focused - teenage girls. Why? Because they fuel online culture. We’ve seen it firsthand. According to a recent survey, 83% of people with a teenage girl in their lives say her influence on culture is moderate to high. Think about the ripple effect in media, fashion, food, wellness, and tech. It’s massive—and it extends to the world of sports. Look no further than the impact of the Taylor Swift fandom on the NFL! By weaving live music, teen athlete participation, and a festive atmosphere into his events, Ohanian is positioning women’s sports to tap into the same cultural power, making them highly shareable and impactful on social media. Track’s easily digestible format and its compelling personalities are primed to take over. “Social content is driven by women,” Ohanian said. “Every platform that has become a success in social media—Instagram, Snap, TikTok—it’s usually because teen girls make it a thing."

'If given the opportunity, women's sports just thrive'💫 Last week's NCAA Women's Basketball Championship shattered records with games like Iowa-South Carolina (18.9M) and UConn-Iowa (14.4M) outdrawing last year's World Series (8.31M) and NBA Finals (10.8M). 🏀🤩 In a recent article by PBS News, Claire Watkins - host of the 'The Late Sub' podcast for the Just Women's Sports Website - explores the remarkable rise in popularity and revenue of women's sports. She gives us some very interesting insights into the growing fan base and the increasing investments made on and off the field. More and more businesses are now tapping into the potential of women's sports as a valuable asset - an example being media giant ESPN. 💪🎉 It's exciting times for women's sports! Examples like these show us that increased interest in women's sports is not only a great step towards equality in the field, but also a smart business opportunity.💡 Read the full article below and let us know your thoughts in the comments. 😉 https://lnkd.in/dvh5i7S9