Serve it up
From The GIST (hi@thegistsports.com)
Leveling The Playing Field
Hello!
Serena Williams makes her highly-anticipated return to Wimbledon’s women’s singles event today and to commemorate the moment, Nielsen compared viewership data from Williams’ past legendary moments. Her matches consistently drew massive audiences, from the 1999 US Open Final to her victory lap at the 2022 US Open.
- At the 2022 tournament, her third round singles match was the most-watched tennis telecast in ESPN history (at the time), averaging 4.8M viewers and peaking at 6.9M. It also bested major network programs and college football games that day, illustrating the magnetic power of the “Serena Effect” — which Wimbledon can certainly expect this year, too.
- We’ll also be enjoying the tournament, especially since The GIST HQ is celebrating Canada Day and Fourth of July. We’re taking the week off for the holidays, so we’ll be back in your inbox next Tuesday. Toodles!
Tennis
🎾 Serve it up
The GIST: The WTA is embracing storytelling opportunities around its global (and highly-marketable) athletes. In May, the women’s tennis league debuted Style Unpacked, a docuseries that paired WTA athletes with world-class stylists. Last week, the WTA recalibrated that formula with WTA Tour Bites, an original series that tells personal stories through the lens of food.
- The tour said it’s investing in original content and “personality-led storytelling” as part of a strategy to spotlight players off the court and strengthen connections with fans across the WTA’s global audience. Love, love.
The details: The first WTA Tour Bites episode follows Canadian star Leylah Fernandez, who gives insights into her preparations for London’s grass courts over her favorite Filipino dishes like sisig and chicken adobo. Fernandez chats about connecting to her Filipina background through food and shares more about herself with WTA fans.
The draw: Sarah Swanson, chief brand officer of the WTA’s commercial arm WTA Ventures, noted the WTA Tour visits over 25 countries each season, but the tennis courts can look the same everywhere. Original content that showcases athlete personalities off the court through food and fashion creates “new ways for fans to connect with our players,” according to Swanson.
- Others have seen universal topics like food and athlete personalities mix well. Serge Ibaka’s How Hungry Are You? reached audiences beyond sport and drew people in with his engaging personality and interesting personal hobby. And last year, tennis star Naomi Osaka launched Off Day, which followed global elite athletes to their must-see spots in their fave cities.
Zooming out: As an individualized, global sport, the WTA faces unique challenges in marketing athletes — but this storytelling formula could work uniquely well for them. Tennis draws top athletes from all over the world who play everywhere, making it easy to tell stories that span sport, culture, and personal identity. This appeal is something Osaka has successfully leveraged for years.
- The bottom line? Global food and culture shows are glamorous, and there’s a natural storytelling opportunity here. They just need someone to help put these stories out there — something Off Day sponsor Chase and WTA Tour Bites producer Whisper recognized. Eating it up.
🎟️ NWSL’s Queens Classic sees record ticket sales with over 29K tickets sold
Last week, Gotham FC shared that the club has sold over 29K tickets for its upcoming Queens Classic, breaking the NYC record for most tickets sold for a women’s sports event. The previous record holder was Coco Gauff’s 2023 US Open win that drew 28,144 fans, so to honor the milestone, Gotham launched a flash sale for $28.14 tickets.
- The team has been launching a handful of limited-time ticket sales for the event, including another 24-hour sale yesterday to celebrate Sam Kerr’s return to Gotham with $20 tickets, matching her jersey number (20). Legendary.
🏆 Allstate deepens investment in women’s sports with new SEC tournament
Insurance company Allstate has already been involved in the women’s sports game (see: Caitlin Clark and JuJu Watkins), but last week, it deepened that relationship with a historic investment in the SEC. When it extended its multiyear sponsorship with the college conference, it included a renewed commitment to women’s sports by establishing the Allstate SEC Women’s Champions Cup.
- The tournament will feature all 16 SEC universities competing across 10 different sports, with women’s teams earning points for their performance in regular-season and postseason play. Way to geaux.
🥎 AUSL viewership in its first two weeks is up 181% YoY, spiking with a June 21st game that saw average viewership peak at 404K — a single-game record. Right out of the park.
🏈 Flag football star Ashlea Klam was named as an ambassador for the NFL’s forthcoming flag football league with TMRW Sports, and will also serve as a league spokesperson.
📱 Chelsea Gray joined Prime Video’s WNBA broadcast roster as a player contributor for the rest of the 2026 season.
🍺 Coors Light, which became the Toronto Tempo’s official beer last month, is releasing limited edition “Tall Girl” cans for sale at the team’s July 5th and July 8th home games.
🏳️🌈 Unrivaled is one of several sponsors for The Sports Bra’s Pride Block Party on July 19th, which coincides with Portland’s Pride Waterfront Festival and Parade. Gotta love a good crossover.
▶️ Walmart is competing with Amazon in the streaming game, too, after agreeing to agreeing to acquire adtech startup Vibe.co, which allows brands to buy streaming TV ads.
🃏 Alexis Ohanian’s VC firm Seven Seven Six Ventures bought trading card company Onit, which works with more women’s sports student-athletes than all other card manufacturers combined.
👟 New Balance and Miu Miu launched a new collection for Coco Gauff ahead of Wimbledon, which includes all-white apparel (per the tourney’s iconic dress code) and two versions of the Miu Miu New Balance 530 SL. Classic for a reason.
💰 What to check out
This take on sports in the age of AI. At the Forbes Iconoclast Summit, JPMorgan executive Mary Callahan Erdoes argued that live sports may become even more valuable as AI transforms daily life. Human connection never goes out of style.
🥒 What to look forward to watching
The Dink. The Apple TV+ comedy stars Jake Johnson and Ben Stiller and centers on America’s favorite fast-growing pastime: pickleball. Deal with it.
📚 What to read
The Race to Be Myself by Caster Semenya. The two-time Olympic champion reflects on her rise to the top of track and field — and her fight to compete on her own terms amid years of scrutiny and controversy.
Today's email was brought to you by Aryanna Prasad Bhullar and Briana Ekanem. Fact checking by Bonnie Lee. Operations by Elisha Gunaratnam. Ads by Ali Haberstroh. Managing edits by Molly Potter, Katie Kehoe Foster, and Ellen Hyslop. Head of content Ellen Hyslop.