Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark, No. 22, drives to the basket against No. 33 Atlanta during a WNBA preseason game at Gambridge Arena on May 9, 2024 in Indianapolis, Indiana Atlanta Dream guard Destanni Henderson.
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Jessica Berman, commissioner of the National Women’s Soccer League, said the passion and enthusiasm surrounding women’s sports will not go away. They will only get bigger.
“We’ve finally reached a point where it’s not a question of whether this is a moment, whether it will pass, or whether it will stand the test of time, because this isn’t just a series of isolated circumstances,” Berman told CNBC x Speaking at Boardroom’s Game Plan sports business event, he said: “We’ve been as successful as a sport, a league or an event. “
Berman pointed out that women’s sports used to account for only about 5 percent of sports media coverage, but now it’s closer to 15 percent, showing a successful model for leagues and athletes. These federations are sharing best practices so that all women’s sports can move forward.
“We’re trying to expand our share; don’t fight for our piece of the pie,” she said.
Fans aren’t the only ones noticing this. Trailblazing Sports Group founder Sara Gotfredson said Tuesday that there are good business reasons for brands to get into the ground floor of emerging leagues like the NWSL and the National Women’s Basketball Association.
Gottfredson noted that fans of women’s sports are “fanned differently” and are more engaged “from a brand partner perspective” than fans of men’s sports and male athletes. She called out this brand Google, Allies Bank and AT&T As leaders in the field, they saw the value in establishing equity with fledgling women’s sports leagues.
“This is still a small percentage of brands’ spending on women’s sports,” she said. “It continues to get bigger.”
Cameron Brink is a forward for the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks and has been endorsed by multiple brands including New Balance, Urban Decay and Legal Zoom.
“Even though my (WNBA) contract may not be as much as I make off the court, that’s what I do on the court and that’s what I love to do,” she said during Tuesday’s panel discussion. “My success on the field leads to success off the field.”
Both Brinker and USC women’s basketball star JuJu Watkins agree that more women’s sports need to be more accessible to fans, with Brinker saying “continue to showcase it and make it more accessible.” Brink said fans now have to “jump through so many hoops” to watch female athletes compete.
Gottfredson also noted the need for more coverage of these leagues on linear television, podcasts, YouTube shows and other media.
Berman, however, said the women’s league still has a lot of work to do. She pointed out that the NWSL is only 13 years old and only recently became independent from the United States Soccer Federation.
“Men’s sports have been around for hundreds of years and have decades of experience,” Berman said. “You can’t catch up to 100 years in 10 years.”
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