A little unwell
From The GIST Sports Biz (hi@thegistsports.com)
Happy Mother’s Day!
ICYMI, our newly-rebranded Sunday newsletter, The Group Chat, celebrated moms yesterday with a nod to what elite athletes endure through pregnancy and beyond, from balancing elite training regimens to staying on the playing field for as long as possible.
- With our team gathering IRL this Wednesday for a company offsite, we won’t be in your inbox, but we’ll still be in your social feed before returning on Friday. Talk soon!
NWSL
💧 A little Unwell
The sector: Per SponsorUnited, alcoholic beverages rank second among most active categories in women’s sports sponsorship presence, while non-alcoholic beverages are sixth. However, growth in these sectors is rapid: Alcoholic beverages saw the most YoY deal growth with 53 new partnerships, while non-alcoholic brands saw the fourth-biggest growth with 36.
The GIST: Last Friday, the NWSL and Alex Cooper’s Unwell — the league’s new hydration partner — announced Unwell FC, an interactive fan program at select NWSL games this season. This follows the trend of beverage brands getting into women’s sports sponsorships, something marketers should lean into as they look for creative ways to stand out. Drink up.
The details: NWSL fans will be able to buy Unwell FC tickets at specific games, giving them the VIP brand treatment with exclusive merch, on-site activations, prime viewing access, and plenty of Unwell Hydration, Cooper’s electrolyte-infused beverage.
- Although there were a few marketing hiccups with the rollout, it all kicks off this Saturday when Bay FC hosts Angel City in San Jose. Cooper, who’s an LA resident, will attend the inaugural event between two of the NWSL’s most popular teams.
The context: ICYMI, Cooper is the famous podcaster behind Call Her Daddy, which has inked lucrative Spotify and SiriusXM deals, with the latter valued at $125M. Cooper herself is worth an estimated $60M thanks to the podcast, her Unwell brand, and other business ventures.
- And the sector overall is surging: Global sales volumes of non-alcoholic drinks are expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 7% between 2023 and 2027. Valued at $149.6Bin 2022, the market is projected to grow to $225.6B by 2030.
Zooming out: With more non-alcoholic brands entering the space thanks to a growing interest in health and wellness, women’s soccer is an ideal target. A notable portion of Gen Z (23%) and millennials (24%) regularly consume these beverages, and it makes sense for a buzzy brand like Unwell to attempt to reach young soccer fans through an engaging, activation-driven partnership.
- SponsorUnited noted that while beverage brands like Coca-Cola and Gatorade are active across women’s sports, they usually focus on product placement. For upstart brands looking to break through the noise, interactive fan activations like this could become the new normal.
Giveaway Alert
🚨 Alert: Serious golf giveaway below
Golf is expensive — we’re here to help. The GIST is giving away a free weekend on the greens in Williamsburg, Virginia, in addition to top-notch equipment to elevate your game. Enter this contest for a chance to win:
🫶 A two-night stay at the Williamsburg Lodge, plus one round of golf for two at the Golden Horseshoe Golf Club.
👀 Four items from the Penfold Golf Ryder Cup 1927 Collection ($535), an Ettinger Cotswold Weekend Bag ($1,150), and a Chippo Golf bundle ($235).
🥜 And a $500 gift card to Hubs Peanuts.
Intrigued? We thought so — enter now for a chance at a true hole-in-one.
💼 Merrill Lynch continues trend of financial literacy campaigns in women’s sports
Last week, Angel Reese and Magic Johnson launched a financial literacy campaign for Baltimore high schoolers through both of their nonprofits in conjunction with Merrill Lynch. The partnership represents an increasing recognition of young women in sports as a future customer base, with several major financial brands activating in different ways.
- Former UConn star Paige Bueckers undertook a similar campaign with Intuit, while Mass Mutual rolled out a recent spot headlined by several women athletes. And earlier this spring, Morgan Stanley led a breakout session on wealth-building from youth and career pathways in finance for high school basketball players.
💰 Cash App increases Atlanta presence with Dream partnership
Last Wednesday, digital payment platform Cash App inked a deal with the WNBA’s Atlanta Dream to become its financial services partner and jersey sponsor for the 2025 season. The brand’s logo will appear twice across all three Dream kits and feature on its practice shirts.
- Plus, using Cash App on game days will mean discounts on merch and concessions as well as inclusion in giveaways, and the company will build upon local community programs for young girls that develop STEM, leadership, and basketball skills. Score.
🃏 Funko joins WNBA collectibles fray with player-inspired Pop! figures
Toy company Funko is getting in on the WNBA’s collectible craze. For the first time, Funko will offer Pop! figures modeled after Las Vegas Ace A’ja Wilson, Chicago Sky star Angel Reese, the NY Liberty’s Breanna Stewart, and Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark.
- Funko is the latest brand to capitalize on collectibles growth in women’s sports: Since the start of the 2024 W season, Clark, Reese, and rookie Paige Bueckers are the league’s top three most-collected PSA athletes and account for 90% of all WNBA cards graded in the past year. Call ‘em pop stars.
⚽ The FIFA Council unanimously approved plans to widen the field for its Women’s World Cup from 32 to 48 national teams (equivalent to the men’s tournament) starting in 2031.
👟 A’ja Wilson’s signature Nike shoe, the A’One, sold out within minutes when it first went on sale last week. Pretty in pink.
📈 Sports Business Journal announced it’s creating a dedicated vertical to women’s sports coverage.
🇫🇷 Paris Saint-Germain’s women’s side named Ilia Beauty as its official hybrid makeup partner through 2026. Belle et naturelle.
🤝 Angel City FC star (and friend of The GIST) Ali Riley is teaming up with hormonal health company Mira.
🎙️ Audio platform Audacy recently premiered She’s Got Next, its first-ever national radio show focused on women athletes.
🏛️ A federal judge dismissed most of the claims against celebrities promoting failed cryptocurrency exchange FTX, including Tom Brady, Steph Curry, and Naomi Osaka.
📺 Play-by-play announcer Michael Grady is expected to become a WNBA and NBA announcer for both Amazon Prime and NBC. Playing double overtime.
Together With Destination Toronto
🏀 Can’t wait another year to celebrate the Toronto Tempo’s groundbreaking tipoff? We have the solution: Tempo Live, a fan fest in partnership with our pals at Destination Toronto, coming to life at Stackt on May 24th and 25th.
- Open to the public from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET, stop by Tempo Live to cop exclusive merch, mingle with other fans (and GISTers!), and hear from industry insiders. Yes, please.
- And to plan your next visit to the new home of women’s hoops, visit Destination Toronto.
Here’s what has The GIST team currently hyped
💛 The affordable statement piece we’re scooping up
Mejuri’s Thin Dôme Ring, available for less than $100 as a part of tennis star Emma Navarro’s shiny and accessible new collection. Serving on and off the court.*
👟 What to listen to
This episode of The World. Canadian runner Kristian Jamieson retraced the Boston Marathon route run by his great-uncle Tom Longboat, an early 1900s Indigenous champ and trailblazer. All in the family.
🕯️ What to gift
The 19th Hole candle. For the golf lover who’s more into vibes than putting—think fresh-cut grass, iced tea and end-of-round relaxation.
*P.S. This is the sponsored post. Shimmering beautiful.Today's email was brought to you by Aryanna Prasad and Briana Ekanem. Fact checking by Bonnie Lee. Operations by Elisha Gunaratnam and Marga Sison. Ads by Katie Kehoe Foster, Alessandra Puccio, and Lisa Minutillo. Managing edits by Molly Potter and Ellen Hyslop. Head of content Ellen Hyslop.