There’s no place like women’s sports
From The GIST (hi@thegistsports.com)
Leveling The Playing Field
Happy Ted Lasso Day!
The fourth season of Apple TV’s hit show began yesterday, and this time, it revolves around a women’s soccer team. The show and its star, famous women’s sports supporter Jason Sudeikis, have strong ties to the NWSL’s KC Current, including filming a key scene in the first episode in the team’s groundbreaking stadium. Clear your weekend plans.
WNBA
🌊 Can’t resist the pull
The GIST: A little over a year ago, Cleveland was announced as the WNBA’s 16th franchise after Rock Entertainment Group (REG) paid a historic $250 million expansion fee. Now, the city finally knows who they’ll be cheering for: the Sirens. The club debuted its name and branding on Tuesday at Rocket Arena, the 19.4K-seater stadium where it will begin play in 2028.
- Some fans may have been hoping for a resurgence of the Rockers (the original Cleveland team circa 1997), but the new identity still pays homage to the past while the numbers speak to a very bright future.
🔱 The brand: The logo, designed by REG and creative agency Supper, draws upon themes of fluidity, fearlessness, and civic pride, particularly in Lake Erie. The brand colors are a tribute to the nearby lake and the Rockers’ iconic icy blue, now in the form of “Erie Blue” and “Siren Blue”. That’s cold.
- And the longer you look at the design, more details come to the surface. From the webbed, clawed hand palming a ball to the hidden “C-L-E” and the five waves of the siren’s hair symbolizing Cleveland’s future starting five, it’s a masterclass in sports branding.
🎟️ The response: Prior to the launch, teasers urged basketball fans to “hear the call,” but Cleveland die-hards had already answered months earlier. As of yesterday, the Sirens broke the 10K season ticket deposit threshold, a milestone that has only been reached once in the W — by the Golden State Valkyries in 2025.
- And for anyone curious about conflict with the other Sirens? Don’t worry, Front Office Sports reported that the name won’t infringe on the trademark held by the PWHL’s NY franchise. There’s room for all in the deep blue sea.
🏟️ Dallas Wings will move to 20K-seater American Airlines Center for 2027 season
The Dallas Wings’ new digs will add a whopping 13.7K seats for home games and place them in downtown Dallas, where the NBA’s Mavericks and the NHL’s Stars play. The team drew massive crowds for its recent game at American Airlines Center and was also involved in a record–breaking game in Montréal last month. Soarin’, flyin’.
🎥 Netflix paid $200M for 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup (WWC) broadcast rights
Netflix’s new WWC agreement is one of the largest annual deals in women’s sports, topped only by the WNBA’s current media agreement at about $280M on average per year. The streamer shared promising engagement data from its 2026 men’s World Cup coverage yesterday, using the announcement to promote its 2027 women’s coverage.
🏐 MLV franchise will return to Las Vegas for 2027 season
During the 2026 season, the Vegas Thrill paused operations to “secure strong local ownership,” according to a team statement. Now, new owner Michael Landier is bringing the team back with the same name but new branding ahead of January’s season start. Aces high.
🏀 ESPN reports another regular-season blockbuster featuring WNBA’s Indiana Fever
On Tuesday, the network announced that Sunday’s game between the Fever and the league-leading Minnesota Lynx averaged 2.5M viewers on ABC, the second-highest audience for a regular-season game in ESPN history. And this isn’t news: Indiana has drawn massive viewership across networks all season long.
🏐 Avoli — which makes volleyball shoes specifically for women and girls — announced its first pro athlete partnership: Carter Booth of LOVB’s San Francisco Signal. The company also re-signed the University of Nebraska’s Andi Jackson.
🎥 A new documentary about retired NWSL and USWNT star Megan Rapinoe will debut at next month’s Toronto International Film Festival. Lights, camera, action.
🧑⚖️ NY’s attorney general filed a lawsuit against Kalshi, claiming the platform is an “illegal gambling operation” as it seeks at least $36B in damages.
🚲 Fans are decrying the lack of coverage for the Tour de France Femmes — only three of the nine stages will have been broadcast in full when the race finishes on Sunday. Sacré bleu!
🛑 The Athletic reported that two women led the international pushback to FIFA president Gianni Infantino’s plan to sell off stakes in the women’s and men’s World Cups: Laura McAllister and Lise Klaveness, the only two women on FIFA’s 21-person executive committee.
📈 Whitecap Sports Group shared three investment trends shaping women’s sports with Sports Business Journal, including that more investors are getting involved in league-wide deals, instead of with individual teams.
🏄 The World Surf League saw a 16% YoY increase in female viewership, with a 14% boost in overall unique live viewers. Hang ten.
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