Venus and Serena Williams seize podcast opportunities as they continue to monetize fame

The GIST: On Monday, iconic tennis (and sister) duo Venus and Serena Williams announced the launch of their Stockton Street podcast, which debuts on X today. The podcast — a notable get for X as it competes for original content — celebrates their legendary status through an accessible, storyline-powered medium.

• Sports podcasts featuring retired athletes fare especially well, and in the emerging world of women’s sports podcasts, the Williams sisters possess a unique perspective and history like no one else. Let’s explore why this move makes cents. When punchlines meet bottom lines.

The details: An ode to their Compton roots, Stockton Street will honor the deep ties between the two, who share a unique bond as both sisters and competitors. The Williams sisters will discuss the details of their lifelong journeys and relationship with one another in bi-weekly episodes — the first one was filmed at the historic Arthur Ashe tennis stadium just before the start of the US Open.

The history: There’s a plethora of books, films, and documentaries about the sisters, including feature film King Richard, Serena’s two-book deal with Random House in 2023, and ESPN docuseries In The Arena: Serena Williams. These works often focus on their on-court successes, but Serena and Venus are also finding ways to monetize their distinct cultural status beyond the court.

• While there’s still a lot to mine through ongoing long-form media deals, podcasts offer a contemporary, low-lift platform with staying power that allows the sisters to reach a wide audience and remain part of the pop culture conversation.

The context: We recently profiled the burgeoning women’s sports podcasting space, noting the medium’s popularity among women and Gen Z listeners. The Williams’ podcast is a surprising pickup for X, which launched original content with Don Lemon, Tulsi Gabbard, and Jim Rome last January before developing X Originals this May.

• The platform seems to be leaning into sports with Keeping The Faith, its first UK–focused series that follows Premier League club Burnley FC but still has a ways to go in terms of roster-building compared to the podcast networks at places like iHeart, Audacy, and Wave Sports & Entertainment.

Zooming out: The true potential of this podcast is its broad appeal — because of the Williams sisters’ iconic identities and the subject matter, this really is a podcast for anyone, not just sports fans. This also seems to be a gap Wave Sports is filling with shows featuring Kylie Kelce, Cameron Brink, and Ilona Maher.

• In fact, Kelce’s Not Gonna Lie has reached No. 1 on Apple and Spotify, featured former first lady Michelle Obama, and averaged 26M weekly social views as of July, all while drawing critical sponsor interest. Big feelings.