Katlyn Gao’s Post

"Everyone watches women's sports." This year, elite women’s sports are currently expected to become a $1 billion industry, representing a 300% increase in just three years. I'm not aware of a single industry that's up triple digit percent - - particularly within the past three post-pandemic years when several industries have been forced to completely reinvent themselves. Nike just re-signed with Caitlin Clark for $28M over 8 years, including a signature shoe. Critic Dave Portnoy of Barstool Sports believes the min. should have been $80M. (I'm inclined to agree). A :30 ad in the women's final four cost $500K and reached an avg. of 14.4M viewers (up 90% vs. LY!). For context, that's a $35 CPM. A :30 ad in the men's final four cost $2M and reached an avg. of 9.9M viewers; a $202 CPM. The economics are obvious. Every single CMO in the world right now should be exploring how they can become a part of this movement and participate in this extremely important conversation. 45% of girls quit sports by the age of 14 - but 90% of women in the C-suite played sports and more than 50% of them at the college level. As the mom of two young girls, I can unequivocally say - - sport matters. Ally has made good on its 50/50 men's/women's sponsorship commitment in just the span of a year (previously at 90/10!). State Farm has been a longstanding supporter of women's sports, including its upcoming title sponsorship of the documentary "Full Court Press" airing on May 11 (I'll be watching!). MassMutual aspires to help professional athletes with insurance programs that genuinely protect them. Laura Correnti, Sue Bird and their team at Deep Blue Sports + Entertainment did such a phenomenal job yesterday pulling together Olympian caliber talent to promote this massively important topic - - and break a bit of new news throughout the day. I was humbled and honored to be within such inspirational company. Without a doubt, the topic of women's sports will continue to be at the forefront of brand conversations for the foreseeable future. How will YOU play a role in amplifying it even more?

What’s ahead at our Business of Women’s Sports Summit on 4/23? It’s a packed agenda inclusive of every role in our business’s ecosystem. Athletes, coaches, team owners, marketers, media executives, journalists and more. We’ve lined up panel discussions including the rule-breakers and changemakers who’ll be influencing women’s sports for the next 50 years. In fact, this annual industry-leading event -hosted in partnership with Axios - is SOLD OUT!! This year’s Summit will open with proprietary research we partnered with COMN on regarding the impact of advertising in women’s sports - presented by Rachael Rapinoe, MS, Business Development & Design Research. This research will set up our programming and will be followed by the day’s first panel discussion - “The Brands Influencing Women’s Sports” - will include Patty Morris, Kate Johnson, and Stephanie Marciano - brand marketers who are paving the way for the future of women’s sports. This conversation will be moderated by Deep Blue Sports and Entertainment Founder & CEO, Laura Correnti. We’d love to hear from our industry colleagues on topics you’re most interested in learning more on within the meteoric rise of women’s sports - so please let us know in a comment below: What’s the #1 thing you’re hoping to take away from our event? 👏 Big thanks to our partners MassMutual, Ally, Snap Inc., Align Technology, NYSE and Footballco for supporting this year's event. As well as our partners at GLAMSQUAD, Glossier, Inc., Honors, PepsiCo, Vestaboard, Sequel, and Paper Plane Coffee.

When I finally get back to Boston to have a beer with Angela Ruggiero, we can look back over the past 7 years and be super proud of the work our company has done to drive visibility for #womenssports. (I will also likely find out her sons are taller than me now.) We were the change we wanted to see. 1) We used hard data to advocate for the growth of the industry. 2) We hired a team of powerful women to lead our business and facilitate new partnerships across the industry (at one point 75% of our company was female). 3) We helped launch leagues, broker rights and sponsorship deals, and provided investor due diligence. The results have been amazing. A few years ago, no one called us saying "women's sports is our focus". Now, there are dozens of examples where the industry is leaning in, and the community-based business model we designed for women's sports is a large part of this opportunity. Great to see our Women's Sports Club thriving and the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) and Athletes Unlimited expanding. Other new ventures like Monarch Collective, Deep Blue Sports + Entertainment, The Female Quotient, Women's Sports Foundation, The GIST, Just Women's Sports, Women's Sports Network The E.W. Scripps Company etc. all driving full steam ahead. It's awesome there are too many to name. We're not done. The next step is powering the industry with the most exhaustive and most accurate audience data for fans of women's sports. As we've proven in our research, women's sports fans aren't created equally. Our data is now being organized into marketing segments brands, media companies, and sports properties can use to amplify marketing campaigns, grow subscribers, and sell sponsorships and tickets. We have women's sports audiences available today. We're moving from insights to activation. If you need audiences to reach fans of women's sports...reach out. We're here for it. Sports Innovation Lab

This past Thursday, I had the pleasure of attending a lecture with David Rader, Director, Media and Entertainment Group; Sports Advisory Leader at Strategy&. at Suffolk University - Sawyer Business School. He provided us with insights on the PwC 2024 Sports Industry Outlook. The industry outlook highlights the top 10 trends and predictions for the sports industry in the coming year. Including the shift in sports consumption, the rise of soccer in the US, the expected rise in Women's sports, how leagues are expanding, and how artificial intelligence is revolutionizing sports. Rader had an informative and interactive lecture with us. I was amazed to hear him talk about how the Formula 1 "Drive to Survive" Netflix series altered the price of the rights for the races. ESPN used to pay Formula 1 $5 million annually to have the rights to air the races. After "Drive to Survive" aired on Netflix, ESPN now pays Formula 1 $85 million annually for the air rights to the races. "Drive to Survive," and the series' success highlights how important storytelling has become in sports. Storytelling and how it boosts engagement is another trend the outlook focuses on. It will be interesting to follow this and see what the leagues do to tell compelling stories to increase fan engagement in the future. The outlook is worth a read for anyone interested, and I highly recommend looking at it to understand the industry and its trends. 

📣 Continued great coverage and kudos for Laura Correnti and Deep Blue Sports + Entertainment as they try to execute a needed revamp of how we approach #ROI in #womenssports. 🚀 When we evolve the conversation to a point where the first question no longer needs to be "Why Invest?"📈 - we're really getting somewhere. #womenledbusiness #sportsanalytics #womeninsports Shira Springer | Sports Business Journal

Over the past week, I had the opportunity to listen to a fascinating lecture given by David Rader, Director, PWC Media and Entertainment Group at Strategy & and Sports Advisory Practice Lead. The lecture and ensuing conversation delved into PWC’s Sports Industry Outlook for 2024. Mr. Rader highlighted 10 specific trends and predictions for this upcoming year in sports. These trends included shifts in the ways consumers watch sports, new players in sports betting, the incorporation of generative AI, and sports “stories" like Drive to Survive and Full Swing. In addition, the topics of professional league expansion, NCAA conference realignment, the growth of women’s sports, and the domination of private equity firms were explored by Mr. Rader. As a student interested in the business of sports, I thought the topic and conversation around the growth of soccer in the U.S. was the most thought-provoking. Considering soccer’s rise in popularity in the U.S. and the World Cup soon to be held in North America, the world’s game is shaping up to be even more of a spectacle come 2026. Mr. Rader also touched upon trends around the traditional revenue pillars within the sports media nexus. Notably stating, the continuation of the trend that has seen sponsorship and media content overtake ticket sales and ancillary retail in revenue across the industry. Between the renewal of media rights and the implementation of new streaming and engagement options, the emergence of new revenue streams will be interesting to watch in 2024. Overall, I would like to thank David Rader for his time and for leading such an informative lecture and conversation. I would also like to thank Professor Perham and Suffolk University - Sawyer Business School for providing this amazing opportunity. Check out PWC’s Sports Industry Outlook 2024 here! https://lnkd.in/eUK23wSF

the O word. no, not that one. the other one. there's a pretty big sports event happening shortly which brings up a lot of chat about sponsorship, SOV, and the importance of brands associating themselves with the hype and the eyeballs that major sports events attract. but interestingly, it's the periphery of sports consumption that is in growth. codes have become the commodity, with opinions and commentary the differentiator. 61% of Aussies actively consume content beyond a live game - 20% more than those watching the actual broadcast. this kind of approach to sports sponsorship through highlights, interviews, analysis and debate opens up far more accessible opportunity for brands to attach themselves to the magnetism but on a deeper, more engaged level - with likely a fresh set of audiences and not limited to one sport, which gives the brand a broader appeal. it's the right time to expand our thinking when it comes to sports associations - to be part of the conversation, not just part of the code. 💜 ARN iHeartMedia The Athletic

LinkedIn Sports 30-Day Challenge Day #20: Create a list of must-follow sports industry leaders & explain why they're noteworthy. Here are 10 sports industry leaders I recommend you follow (in no particular order): 1️⃣ Darren Heitner: If you're interested in #NIL, Darren is definitely one of the go-to experts for everything related to student-athletes, intellectual property, and brand deals. 2️⃣ Daron K. Roberts, J.D.: Inspiration and motivation are the first words that come to mind when I think about Daron. An amazing content creator, and speaker in the sports and personal development space. #StayInTheDeepEnd 3️⃣ Eric Kussin: Mental health has been a taboo topic in the past, but Eric has done an incredible job bringing it to light in the sports and entertainment space by highlighting stories and news with his non-profit #SameHere 4️⃣ Dr. Jen Welter: A pioneer and leader for not just women athletes but women working in the sports space. It's been incredible to watch Jen's journey and the impact she's made on so many people in the sports industry. 5️⃣ Stephen A. Eriksen: By far one of the most genuine and sincere people I've ever had the chance to be around. Stephen is a long-time advocate for athletes and putting them in a position to be successful in life after sports. 6️⃣ Adriene Bueno: Adriene has tirelessly worked to curate events, build community, and create connections in the sports industry. Not to mention, she has also done a great job of mentoring and uplifting others who want to work in sports. 7️⃣ David Meltzer: Dave is a legend in multiple facets. He's another incredible speaker and author and as the co-founder of Sports 1 Marketing, has built one of the most notable companies in the sports industry. 8️⃣ Angela Ruggiero: Former Olympian and co-founder of Sports Innovation Lab, Angela is one of the most recognized executives in the sports space. As a Hall of Famer, her career speaks for itself. 9️⃣ Marilou McFarlane: When you look at the sports tech space, Marilou is by far one of the top pioneers and leaders. What she's built with Women in Sports Tech, Inc. is remarkable and has so much upside going forward. 🔟 Kelvin Beachum Jr.: It's hard enough being a pro athlete. However, building a business and investing while maintaining a pro football career is something not many athletes can do successfully. Kelvin is a game changer and one of the top athletes shifting the narrative. There are plenty of other people who I could add to this list ofcourse! #linkedinsportschallenge #sportsbusiness #sportsindustry

Pitchside provocations from Wavemaker’s Sports team 🔥 At Leaders in Sport 2023, one of the flagship global sports conferences of the year, our Sports dream team were on the ground soaking up expert sessions and masterclasses which covered the latest trends propelling the sports business forward. Our sports marketing MVPs Dan Conti, Bukky Moemeke, and Matt Hamilton break down some of the key highlights and provocations as we look back on a great few days at Twickenham Stadium. Here’s the four-one-one: 🏈 Athletes and talent as a catalyst to fandom to capitalise on the rise of the casual sports fan 🎾 Audience-driven innovation and programming as a key priority for growth amongst rights holders, broadcasters, and tech providers 🏐 Digitalisation transforming sports entertainment and the usage of name/likeness and rights holder IP 🕹️ Gaming and sports worlds converging to elevate the connection point with fans and strengthening the live sports viewing occasion ⚽ Meteoritic rise in value of women’s sports due to new media deals, gender-balanced fan composition, and the star power of female athletes 🖥️ Marketplace and consumption behaviour changes forcing the sports industry to dig-deeper to drive incremental value and impact with fans on their terms A huge thanks to Leaders in Sport for bringing the global sports industry together in London 👏 Wavemaker UK Wavemaker US #LeadersWeek2023 #LeadersWeek #sportsmarketing #sportsbusiness #sportsmedia

“If I were to give you a million dollars to invest in women’s sports, where would you invest it?” 🤔 I asked this question to Becca Kuperschmid a few weeks ago... And she came back to me with an incredible breakdown: https://lnkd.in/enCxSSGi ━━ 𝘓𝘦𝘵 𝘮𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘪𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵... 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗶𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻’𝘀 𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘀, 𝘄𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗯𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗳𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹. This past year, countless records were broken: 📊 • NCAAW Championship 9.9 million viewers, 92,000+ volleyball fans in Nebraska, US Open Final, $240m NWSL media rights deal, and much more. What's been holding it back? Sports Innovation Lab had a great perspective: 1️⃣ Reach 2️⃣ Experience 3️⃣ Discoverability ━━ With no proper media and investment strategy in place, women’s sports properties did not deliver the desired returns. 𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝗳𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱 — 𝗻𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀 𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗯𝘂𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗮 “𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗼𝗳 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻’𝘀 𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘀". 📺 IT'S QUICKLY STARTING TO CHANGE... And also important to remember that you do not need to write a check to “invest” in women’s sports. • watching a WNBA game • attending a NWSL game • engaging with content on social media — shows networks, brands, and advertisers that their dollars are being well spent. Exciting times are ahead! 📈