A U.S. ban on social media app TikTok is set to go into effect Sunday, which will have broad repercussions across the sports landscape. While major media networks may be minimally affected by the ban, casual sports fans and content creators — especially women athletes — will feel the loss.

Venu Sports — the bundled, sports-focused app created by Disney, Fox, and Warner Bros. Discovery — was shelved Friday without ever hitting the market. After a year of legal battles, the premise of Venu continued to raise antitrust concerns, even after Disney dissolved its contentious lawsuit with FuboTV.

On Monday, tennis star Coco Gauff joined a long list of athlete investors backing 3v3 basketball league Unrivaled, which has secured $35M in total funding. Gauff’s investment highlights how WTA athletes have proven to be adept investors across the board.

P.R.O.S. Sports Housing — a company that provides short-term housing for pro athletes — rebranded as Mavrx Sports Housing and announced a new partnership with Las Vegas Aces star Sydney Colson this week. Mavrx is the latest company to enter the WNBA space by teaming up with Colson, who’s been renowned for her marketability.

On Friday, Unrivaled debuted an innovative multiyear partnership with popular beauty retailer Sephora. This is the latest beauty partnership in the women’s sports space, as companies have begun to realize women athletes are the ideal brand marketers thanks to their authenticity and reach.

December was a winning month for sports ratings, with the NFL and NBA both benefiting from holiday downtime and marquee broadcasts. While most women’s pro sports leagues were on the sidelines last month, women’s college sports are quickly proving they can also capitalize on prime December viewership.

In recent years, sponsors have talked a big game about increasing their investment in women’s sports, and in 2024, many stepped up. According to Sports Innovation Lab (SIL) survey results released yesterday, brands are boosting women’s sports budgets for 2025 and reallocating sponsorship dollars from men’s sports to women’s.

Last week, UK–based charity Women’s Sports Trust (WST) found at least 80% of UK brands involved in sports sponsorship are likely to continue investing in the women’s game in the next three years, among other key findings. To collect data, WST spoke to 49 brand decision-makers about their sponsorship plans, with 69% being existing women’s sports partners.

EA Sports’ annual hockey video game NHL 25 launched an update last Thursday that included PWHL players for the first time. The GIST spoke with EA sports brand general manager and SVP Andrea Hopelain last week to gain insight on the company’s success incorporating women athletes in its games, a strategy that resonates strongly with its Gen Z players.

Last Friday, chief brand and commercial officer of the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) and CEO of the Canadian Olympic Foundation Jacquie Ryan was honored as the Canadian Marketing Association’s Marketer of the Year for her work during Paris 2024. While Team Canada is already the top sports property in the country, Ryan’s efforts helped its fandom flourish.

Prominent women’s sports sponsor Ally activated at the 2024 NWSL Championship in Kansas City this weekend as the financial brand continues investing in the women’s game. Ally is working hard to close the sports sponsorship gender gap, which has helped the brand stand out among competitors.

Following last week’s podcast interview with WNBA star and OPill brand ambassador Napheesa Collier, The GIST spoke with Perrigo’s U.S. women’s health brand lead Leila Bahbah on how the innovative birth control brand’s WNBA sponsorship is paying off.