Gannett launches USA TODAY Studio IX, a new women's sports vertical

USA Today

15-04-2025

Gannett launches USA TODAY Studio IX, a new women's sports vertical
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For decades, USA TODAY has covered the biggest moments in women's sports. Now we're kicking it up a notch with USA TODAY Studio IX, presented by Cisco
For more than four decades, USA TODAY has provided our audience a front-row seat for some of the biggest moments in women's sports – from the Olympic Games, FIFA World Cups, March Madness and beyond.
Now we're kicking it up a notch with today's launch of USA TODAY Studio IX presented by Cisco, our new content vertical that will highlight the power of women's sports through in-depth and unique storytelling, dynamic events and expanded multimedia content. This new community for women's sports draws upon the power of the USA TODAY Network, which includes USA TODAY and more than 200 local publications throughout the country.
'Over the last few years, we've seen a considerable surge of reader interest in our coverage of women's sports,' said USA TODAY Sports executive editor and vice president Roxanna Scott. "While covering some of the biggest names in sports, such as Simone Biles, Jordan Chiles, Paige Bueckers, Caitlin Clark and JuJu Watkins, to the up-and-coming high school athletes who will be the next generation of stars, we see the demand for coverage that goes beyond the surface.'
Studio IX's launch coincides with the day of the 2025 WNBA draft, where USA TODAY will have reporters on the orange carpet and inside The Shed at Hudson Yards in New York as the Dallas Wings select the first pick.
USA TODAY will celebrate Studio IX's launch Monday night with an invite-only WNBA draft watch party in partnership with the New York Liberty, the reigning WNBA champions. The pop-up viewing party, sponsored by Cisco and Taboola, will be held at a property developed by AVENU in the Park Slope neighborhood of Brooklyn, NY.
Beyond a digital content hub, USA TODAY Studio IX will work toward creating a lasting impact in women's sports through increased coverage, community pop-up events and thought leadership in the industry. The USA TODAY High School Sports Awards shows this year will also include a USA TODAY Studio IX Trailblazer Award, given to a nominee in each local market who has paved the way for women and girls in sports.
"I'm proud to be part of a women-led sports department at USA TODAY that has been pushing boundaries for decades," said USA TODAY senior editor Alicia Del Gallo, who leads Studio IX. "Readers were telling us they wanted an easier way to find our industry-leading coverage of women's sports, so we needed to deliver. Sports departments often lead innovation and experimentation in newsrooms, and USA TODAY Studio IX will take that to a new level."