Piping hot British tea

While you were enjoying long weekend festivities, the UEFA Women’s Euro tournament welcomed a Swiss record of 34K fans on opening day. With the European continental tournament expecting $100M in media revenue and a 50% boost in U.S. viewership, experts are already thinking about how this year’s tourney will reshape European soccer, especially in the U.K.

• USWNT star Tobin Heath — who played for two seasons in the Women’s Super League — said on her podcast that another England win would have the biggest impact on global soccer, and suggested it’s an outcome NWSL commissioner (and WSL competitor) Jessica Berman likely wouldn’t welcome. Tea.

WNBA CBA negotiations have been heating up in July following the first round of negotiations. Last week, it was reported that the WNBPA rejected the league’s initial offer, with player representatives like Satou Sabally and Breanna Stewart expressing disappointment in the league’s counter, especially after the latest expansion news and the way sponsors have been closing the pay gap.

• The WNBPA is prepared to fight: The union has requested an assist from Nobel Prize–winning economist Claudia Goldin, who has extensively studied gender wage gaps and is looking to determine equitable salaries and benefits for players after the influx of media rights and sponsorship dollars.

After seeing clubs like Wrexham, which has seen 19K% valuation growth under celebrity ownership, wealthy Americans, per Front Office Sports, are recognizing the investment opportunity in owning soccer teams abroad.

• But the payoff isn’t just restricted to men’s teams: Michele Kang, who is the first to build a multi-league women’s soccer empire, was awarded control over Lyon last week, likely a result of her experience with its women’s side, Olympique Lyonnais.

• And in England, Kang’s London City Lionesses, which will become the first independent women’s team to play in the WSL after promotion, just announced a multi-year partnership with Nike. Eyes on the footie prize.

Last Monday’s opening day of Wimbledon garnered record ESPN viewership with 539K viewers, the most-watched Day 1 of the tournament on the network, up 37% YoY.

• The historic number of first-round losses — the most top-10 first-round exits of any major in the Open era — may cause viewership slumps in later rounds. Eliminated players like Coco Gauff have driven viewership in title runs at the 2023 US Open and the 2025 French Open.

• However, high engagement on official Wimbledon Instagram posts featuring Carlos Alcaraz, Ben Shelton, and Aryna Sabalenka proves that Wimbledon still has plenty of stars to drive viewership to the finals.

Last week, the Wall Street Journal reported that the two streaming platforms may join forces to package multimedia music-related content. A potential deal could see Netflix and Spotify partner on live music award shows and concerts, and produce content such as interviews and documentaries.

• Netflix is ramping up production with unscripted sports and music series, such as a rebooted “Star Search” and the hit hip-hop series “Rhythm & Flow.” The streamer has also integrated musical acts into its live programming, such as landing Beyoncé for the 2024 NFL Christmas Day halftime.

• For Spotify, a Netflix deal allows the growing platform to expand beyond its audio library. Music to our ears.

👟 Sneaker experts predict Caitlin Clark’s signature Nike shoe could be a $100M business after her first-ever player edition shoe with the brand sold out within minutes on June 30th.

⛳ HR and payroll software brand UKG partnered with the LPGA as its official HR, payroll, and workforce management technology partner.

🏆 Michele Kang will receive the ESPN Sports Philanthropist of the Year Award later this month thanks to her aforementioned commitment to growing the women’s game.

🗽 The Barclays Center revealed a new public art installation by artist LaToya Ruby Frazier honoring the 2024 championship New York Liberty team. When art imitates life.

📺 Amazon is shuttering its FAST channel, Freevee, next month as it consolidates its content library under Prime Video.

🛍️ TikTok Shop, the app’s U.S. e-commerce division, is planning its third round of layoffs since April.

🏀 Seattle Storm legend Sue Bird will become the first WNBA player to be awarded a statue by their professional franchise.

⚾ The Women’s Professional Baseball League shared details on its inaugural league tryouts, which will be held this August at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C. Next batter up.