It’s in the cards

The GIST: Today, sports data leader Genius Sports (which acquired Sports Innovation Lab in 2025) published the fifth edition of The Fan Project, Sports Innovation Lab’s long-running report series that examines the economic value of women’s sports fandom. The latest release, “Turning Culture Into Commerce,” shows how the culture of women’s sports is shaped by athlete entrepreneurs.

• When a popular athlete launches or co-signs a product, fans tend to be all in, which is good for their own endeavors as well as that of their brand partners. Let’s dive in.

🤝 The ROI on athlete partnerships is unmatched. Women’s sports fans are 3x more likely than men’s sports fans to buy from player-created brands. Whether it’s a skincare line or a signature shoe, fans are locked in when women athletes drop products.

🍼 Athlete-driven storytelling delivers big results. When Alex Morgan was retiring from soccer and pregnant with her second child, women-founded formula brand Bobbie reached out to the soccer legend. The timing was perfect, and so was the concept: After the campaign, women’s sports fans increased their spend with Bobbie by 33%. Just win, baby.

🎮 The industry should focus on women’s sports fans who double as gamers. These particular fans are 3.2x more likely than the general population to place a sportsbook bet, but have been largely overlooked by the betting industry.

✨ Women’s sports fans are living their best lives. They’re 2.6x more likely to attend concerts and festivals than general sports fans. This is where brands can meet them, especially at tentpole events like WNBA All-Star Weekend or festival-like tournaments like Athlos NYC.

🌎 Women’s sports fandom is more global than local. Only 7% of women’s sports fans follow a team due to its proximity compared to 30% of men’s sports fans. These followers are often digital natives, making them a highly-scalable audience no matter the team location. Portland is one place that proves this: The locale is small, but the fandom (and sponsorship interest) is outsized.

• This means supporting a women’s sports team is a national brand opportunity, not just a local one. USL W team Minnesota Aurora drew investors from all 50 states and 19 countries, while the NWSL’s Angel City FC ships merch to over 80 countries. World famous.

🏆 As if we needed any further proof that the WNBA is must-watch TV, Commissioner’s Cup action delivered. The Golden State Valkyries brought elite levels of competition to the in-season tournament, supported by Chase every step of the way.

• 🏆 The Valkyries secured four wins at the ultra loud Chase Center in the Commissioner's Cup. There’s no place like home, after all.

Best of all, Chase supports women athletes from youth all the way to the pros. Through their “Invested In” platform, squads like the Valkyries get the support they need to keep raising the bar.

The GIST: There’s nothing more American than baseball (cards), right? That’s the idea behind sports authentication platform The Realest’s new partnership with the Women’s Pro Baseball League (WPBL). Together, they will launch and develop the first officially licensed trading card program for an active pro women’s baseball league in the U.S..

• To be fair, it’s the first time anyone’s had this chance in a while — the WPBL is the first pro women’s baseball league since 1954. But the partnership does signal two things: An increased interest in women’s baseball, and the unique opportunity for the sport to make its own mark on baseball’s trading card culture.

The details: The cards will cover the league’s inaugural season — which begins August 1st — with cards featuring top players, action shots, and authentic game equipment. Additionally, The Realest will work with the WPBL to gather and authenticate game-used items like baseballs, jerseys, and even field dirt, which will be auctioned on the platform.

The landscape: Baseball cards are perhaps the most iconic aspect of memorabilia culture, but recently we’ve seen trading cards get popular across women’s sports, too. The WPBL is a new league, but this co-sign from The Realest shows there’s a big opportunity here for baseball fans.

• And the WPBL comes at an interesting time: Beyond women’s baseball, softball is also surging as two new pro leagues begin play — one that MLB chose to invest in over the WPBL. This is likely because softball is more established in terms of popularity and talent, but the WPBL clearly has growth potential.

The takeaway: According to The Realest, niche sports communities, especially in women’s sports, have been incredibly active in the memorabilia space. This partnership is a low lift with a huge potential payoff among a fanbase that’s been hungry for it.

• And for the WPBL, this is a unique branding opportunity to differentiate itself from softball. As an emerging league, it’s important for the WPBL to land sponsors that bolster its standing: It’s previously partnered with Dick’s Sporting Goods, Fremantle, and the Boston Red Sox. Everything helps in the wind-up to its first pitch.