Soccer

NWSL shares midseason growth metrics driven by increased attendance and access

On Friday, the NWSL shared midseason KPIs and milestones that illustrate explosive, multidimensional growth. The league saw gains across every major metric — a positive sign in the lead up to the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

July 07, 2026

The NWSL is getting in on soccer’s North American surge

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It’s a rare and special moment when soccer is the mainstream sport in North America, one American soccer (specifically, the NWSL) wants to sustain after the crowds head home. In May, the women’s soccer league announced its Summer of Soccer initiative to capitalize on WC fervor. In June, we spoke to NWSL CMO Rachel Epstein about why the league has “locked arms” with FIFA and how the tourney can be an entry point for sustained footy fandom.

June 27, 2026

More diverse soccer fanbase impacts men’s FIFA World Cup marketing strategies

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The men’s FIFA World Cup is right around the corner, and the U.S. is hosting the global soccer tournament (alongside Canada and Mexico) for the first time in 32 years. A lot has changed since then — for starters, the sport’s fanbase is more diverse than ever, especially in younger demographics. Let’s explore soccer’s changing audience and how this tourney is an unbeatable opportunity for brands to reach and engage diverse audiences.

June 06, 2026

How one NWSL team built a regional culture from the ground up

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In March, we interviewed Courage COO Ralph Vuono about winning fans in an atomized regional culture, and how the club plans to further energize Courage Country — and prospective sponsors.

May 02, 2026

Gotham FC teams up with NYC mayor Zohran Mamdani on shared message of affordability

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FIFA men’s World Cup tickets are expensive: Fans know it, Gotham FC knows it, and NYC mayor Zohran Mamdani knows it. So in an initiative to make local soccer more affordable, the NWSL club teamed up with Mamdani to sell 1K tickets for its May 9th home game for $5 each, and they sold out in under an hour — and Gotham’s working to offer another 500 more at this price.

April 28, 2026

The NWSL awards 18th franchise to Columbus, Ohio as league considers marketing power of multi-franchise sports owners

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On Tuesday, the NWSL awarded its 18th franchise to Columbus, Ohio for a record $205M expansion fee, up from Atlanta’s $165M fee in 2025. NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman cited the region’s affinity for soccer as a key factor, but so was the money the ownership group put down: $300M between the expansion fee and a new bespoke training facility.

April 23, 2026

Denver Summit FC arranges a $40M private placement in historic first for women’s sports

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On Monday, Mesirow Capital Markets — an independent, employee-owned financial services firm — arranged a $40M private placement (or private bond financing plan) for Denver Summit FC, the Denver-based NWSL expansion club set to break attendance records at its home opener this weekend.

March 26, 2026

How the Bhathal family is running Portland

Sports Business

How the Bhathal family is running Portland

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March 20, 2026

The Bhathals are changing how the women’s sports game is played, from building the first-ever dual WNBA and NWSL practice facility to creating the first local channel dedicated to women’s sports. That synergy is helping the teams become a major draw for high-profile brand deals. This week, we spoke with Bhathal Merage in a rare interview ahead of her appearance at the Power Play Sports Sponsorship Accelerator about the benefits of owning both teams, both from an ownership and sponsorship perspective. As she put it, “one plus one equals five.” The math is mathin’.

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The GIST of It Podcast

Ep #570

How FIFA lost control of the World Cup

July 07, 2026

Listen on Apple Music Listen on Spotify

On Sunday, FIFA shocked the world by announcing that American striker Folarin Balogun’s red card had been suspended, allowing the USMNT’s World Cup leading scorer to play in yesterday’s Round of 16 match against Belgium.

That decision set off a flurry of conversations about fairness and opportunity at the World Cup — particularly after a certain president inserted himself into the narrative. Today, co-hosts Ellen Hyslop and Steph Rotz break down the situation, detailing how FIFA’s controversial decision sparked outrage from other competing nations, inciting chaos and tainting the legacy of this tourney.