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"The Devil Ties My Tongue" by Amy Seiwert performed for the SKETCH Series, 2013. Photo by David DeSilva. Courtesy of Amy Seiwert's Imagery
Axios: Women’s sports are having a moment
By Kendall Baker
8 May 2019
In the last few months, multiple big name brands have pumped significant dollars into women’s sports, signaling that an increase in media exposure could be having a seismic impact on the business of female athletics.
Driving the news: AT&T signed a multi-year partnership with the WNBA, becoming the first non-apparel company to have its logo featured on the front of all 12 team jerseys. Barclays made the “largest single investment in British women’s sports,” signing a three-year, $11 million sponsorship deal that will see the top league rebranded as the Barclays FA Women’s Super League.
- Budweiser announced its first-ever sponsorship of women’s soccer, inking a deal with the English national team.
- Nike has shifted its entire business around to take advantage of what they consider to be a massive opportunity.
WNBPA director Pam Wheeler told sports business outlet, JohnWallStreet, that she believes this heightened sponsorship interest is a byproduct of the increased visibility of women’s sports.
- The proliferation of streaming services and the rise of social media has allowed the WNBA (and others) to reach more people, and the league recently parlayed that uptick in eyeballs into a multi-year deal with CBS Sports that will nearly double its national TV exposure.
The backdrop: Brands have historically ignored women’s pro sports, as have televised news and highlight shows — two realities that go hand-in-hand.
Read the full article on Axios.
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