
Women's sports coverage goes mainstream
Following a breakout year in 2024, roughly a dozen publishers have introduced new, specialized coverage plans for women's sports.
Why it matters: Once a niche topic, outlets now see women's sports as a driver of readership, revenue and growth.
Driving the news: USA Today is launching a new content vertical on women's sports called USA Today Studio IX that will feature news, multimedia content and events.
The studio will include coverage about professional leagues like the WNBA, WTA and LPGA, along with college and high school sports and the Olympics. USA Today's network of 200 local publications will contribute to the coverage.
The hub will feature news stories, videos and photo galleries. Team members include USA Today columnist Nancy Armour and staff writer Meghan Hall.
Zoom out: As viewership and attendance for women's sporting events has skyrocketed, so too has the marketing and commerce opportunities for brands.
Ad spending on women's sports more than doubled last year, according to marketing analytics firm EDO.
Ads aired during women's sports programs were 40% more impactful than the average primetime ad.
The big picture: For media companies facing an increasingly competitive economic environment, women's sports have become an opportunity to expand their businesses. Below are some of the new investments:
Television:
Sports Illustrated announced last week it will host the SI Women's Games, a biennial event with athletes competing across six sports that will broadcast domestically in prime time with Scripps Sports and ION.
CNBC debuted a new women's sports event on the sidelines of the Women's NCAA Championship this month sponsored by JPMorganChase. It's partnering with Deep Blue Sports + Entertainment to livestream Deep Blue's annual Business of Women's Sports Summit this year.
Roku Channel is launching Women's Sports Now, a weekly studio show on women's sports, hosted by WNBA star Renee Montgomery and comedian Sarah Tiana.
All Women's Sports Network was launched by Whoopi Goldberg and streaming media company JungoTV last year and is available in the U.S. on Vizio WatchFree+.
Online:
Bleacher Report created B/R W, a social brand focused on women's sports, on Instagram, YouTube and TikTok earlier this year.
The Athletic and Yahoo Sports teamed up to launch a hub for women's sports coverage on Yahoo Sports' website and app, last fall.
The Information hired its first sports reporter last winter to cover the business and focus on women's sports.
Front Office Sports also brought on its first reporter to cover women's sports exclusively.
The Associated Press last month said it is doubling down on women's coverage, adding a new dedicated reporter to cover the N.Y. Liberty and dedicating robust coverage to the new 3-on-3 Unrivaled basketball league.
Betches Media introduced a sports vertical, Betches Sports, to cover sports news and culture, including women's sports, for its audience.
Audio:
iHeartMedia and Deep Blue Sports + Entertainment created the Women's Sports Audio Network, the first audio platform dedicated to women's sports.
Multiple publishers have debuted new women's sports podcasts, including The Athletic, The Ringer, Vox Media and Just Women's Sports, joining publishers like CBS Sports, The Guardian and others with existing women's focused shows.
Between the lines: In addition to mainstream coverage, there's also been a rise of new women's sports-specific media business, such as The Gist and Just Women's Sports, which launched in 2019 and 2020, respectively.
Earlier this month, former Vice CEO Nancy Dubuc was named executive chair of Togethxr, a women's sports media and commerce startup founded by top female athletes such as Alex Morgan and Sue Bird.
What to watch: More ad agencies are investing in women's sports programs to drive ad dollars to new coverage efforts.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Scottie Scheffler Reveals Concerning Message Ahead of The U.S. Open
Scottie Scheffler Reveals Concerning Message Ahead of The U.S. Open originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The U.S. Open is back this week, and it's shaping up to be one of the most anticipated majors of the year. With Oakmont Country Club hosting, fans and players alike know it's going to be a brutal test of both physical skill and mental endurance. Known for its tight fairways, deep rough, and lightning-fast greens, Oakmont doesn't leave much room for error. The lowest winning score at this venue? Just 5-under. Advertisement Scottie Scheffler, fresh off wins at the Memorial and the PGA Championship, enters as the betting favorite but he's not letting the noise get to him. 'The U.S. Open compared to the Masters is a completely different type of test. I think in the Masters you have a lot more shot making when you get around the greens,' Scheffler said at his press conference Tuesday. Scottie Scheffler looks at the trophy on hole No. 18 after the final round of the Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village Golf Course on Madar/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images Scheffler, currently the world number one, offered a unique perspective on how the U.S. Open differs from other majors. 'It's just a different type of test,' he said. Comparing it to tennis, where majors are played on different surfaces. "When you miss a green at the Masters, the ball kind of runs away and it goes into these areas and you can play a bump, you can play a flop," Scheffler said. He emphasized how strength and precision will be key, saying, ' Here, when you hit the ball over the green, you're just getting some heavy rough and it's like, let me see how I can pop the ball out of this rough and somehow give myself a look.' Advertisement "It's just a different type of test." With Scheffler in top form and Oakmont ready to bite, the 2025 U.S. Open promises a thrilling ride. Related: Cameras Catch Scottie Scheffler's Son's Special Moment at PGA Championship This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 11, 2025, where it first appeared.


NBC Sports
an hour ago
- NBC Sports
Chicago Sky are struggling out of the gate with a new coach and revamped roster
CHICAGO — Angel Reese captured a national championship and never lost more than two games in a row during a four-year college career. She and Caitlin Clark helped lead women's basketball to new heights with a rivalry that gripped the nation. After all that winning, first at Maryland and then LSU, her rookie season with the Chicago Sky was an eye-opener. Year 2 is off to a bumpy start, too. 'I'm not really a patient person,' Reese said. 'I like to perfect things right away. That's why I'm so hard on myself. We have great coaches, we have great players.' For now, they have room to improve. The Sky are struggling with a new coach and revamped roster, and are 2-6 following a lopsided road loss to the New York Liberty on Tuesday. A season-ending knee injury to franchise career assist leader Courtney Vandersloot last weekend only added to their difficulties. The slow start comes on the heels of a 13-27 season and 10th-place finish in the WNBA. The Sky dropped 12 of their final 14 games last year, then got busy reshaping the roster. Chicago fired coach Teresa Weatherspoon after one season and hired Las Vegas Aces assistant Tyler Marsh to take over for the Hall of Famer. The Sky brought in veteran leadership to help Reese and Kamilla Cardoso take their games to a different level, reuniting with Vandersloot and acquiring two-time All-Star Ariel Atkins from Washington. But in the early going, the team is having a rough time. Chicago ranks among the worst in the WNBA on offense and defense and leads the league in turnovers. The Sky have been blown out twice by Indiana, starting with a heated season opener on the road. Clark had a triple-double and sent tempers flaring by knocking Reese to the floor with a hard foul. Chicago dropped its first four games before back-to-back wins over struggling Dallas, with No. 1 overall draft pick Paige Bueckers missing the second meeting while in the concussion protocol. Just when the Sky seemed to be pointing themselves in the right direction, things took another painful turn on Saturday night. They got wiped out again by Indiana in the first WNBA game at the United Center, with a national, prime-time audience watching and Clark sidelined with a quad injury. Worse, Vandersloot tore the ACL in her right knee during the first quarter. The five-time All-Star known as 'The General' returned to Chicago after two years in New York, where she helped the Liberty capture the championship last season and earned her second ring to go with the one she got with the Sky in 2021. A little more than a week before the injury, Vandersloot broke wife Allie Quigley's franchise career records for scoring and field goals made. 'She's our engine,' Marsh said. 'She's our captain, she's our leader out there. Obviously, it's a huge blow.' One of the best distributors the WNBA has seen, Vandersloot is second to Hall of Famer Sue Bird in total assists and holds the highest season and career averages in league history. The Sky figure to lean more on rookie Hailey Van Lith, the No. 11 overall pick in the draft. 'She's done as good a job as she can in terms of handling pressure,' Marsh said. 'I think she'll continue to see that. But just understanding how to command a team, how to run a team — I think she's kind of now on a fast track to that.' Van Lith said watching Vandersloot go down was 'heartbreaking' and added: 'Whatever is in store in the future for this team, I trust that we will find a way to make this moment mean something.' Reese and Cardoso hold the keys. Though Reese leads the league in rebounding at 12.1 per game, she's shooting just 35.8% while averaging 10.1 points. Last year, she set a WNBA record with double-doubles in 15 straight games and finished with 26 on the season — the most ever by a rookie. She has four this year, giving her 30 in 42 games — the fewest needed to reach the mark in league history. Cardoso, the third overall pick last year, continues to show promise, including a career-high 23-point game in the first win over Dallas. But the former South Carolina star hasn't become a consistent dominant force inside. 'I think it's just continuing to instill the trust level that we have in her,' Marsh said. 'Her teammates look for her inside. They know what a force she can be down low, and our staff certainly is aware of who she can be down there as well. We want to give her looks and opportunities.'
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
NBA Player Sends Message After Being Released by Celtics in 2019
NBA Player Sends Message After Being Released by Celtics in 2019 originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Back in 2016, the Boston Celtics had a major rookie class that consisted of a few important names. Most notably, with the third overall pick that yet, Boston drafted Jaylen Brown. Brown is still a part of the Celtics and was crucial to their championship victory in 2024, earning Eastern Conference Finals and NBA Finals MVP honors. Advertisement In addition to Brown, the Celtics also drafted another notable player that year in Guerschon Yabusele, who they took 16th overall. The French native spent two seasons in Boston before the team waived him in 2019. Nearly six years later, Yabusele sent a message regarding his time in Boston. Philadelphia 76ers forward Guerschon Yabusele (28).© Kyle Ross-Imagn Images After getting waived by the Celtics in 2019, Yabusele played overseas and did not return to the NBA until last year. Following an impressive run in the Olympics, Yabusele joined the Philadelphia 76ers and appeared in nearly every game for the team. Recently, the 29-year-old spoke about how different his mentality is now compared to his Celtics days, and he admitted to it being "completely different" (h/t Cyro Asseo de Choch of HoopsHype). Advertisement "It was a completely different mentality than when I was in Boston, because when I was in Boston, I was drafted first round, 16th pick, so my standards and what I was hoping was completely different from right now," Yabusele said. "I didn't have that much experience, too. I was really just young, and I wanted just to play." Despite being a first-round draft pick for Boston, Yabusele did not play much. During his two seasons with the team, he averaged just 6.6 minutes across 74 games. Yabusele is set to hit unrestricted free agency this summer. It remains to be seen whether he will remain in Philadelphia or go elsewhere. Regardless, he has done a fantastic job of reviving his NBA career after his release from the Celtics, and his status will be a fun one to follow throughout the offseason. Related: Celtics Free Agent Sends Message Before Major Career Decision Related: Former Celtics Star Announces Decision on Retirement This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 9, 2025, where it first appeared.