International Trade Center’s Post

Global women’s sports industry is set to break $1 billion! 📈 With unprecedented growth in interest and attendance, now is the time for brands to invest. 🏆 The 2024 Women’s NCAA tournament averaged nearly 19 million viewers (with a peak of 24 million viewers) for the final game between Iowa and South Carolina — up 89% from the previous year 🏀 The 2024 WNBA Draft audience increased 511% and was up 668% with female viewers ages 2-17 🎟 Overall interest in the WNBA grew 29% between 2023 and 2024 Nielsen’s latest insights can help you understand how to capitalise on this momentum. https://bit.ly/3S48Cqm Gracenote WNBA (Women's National Basketball Association) NCAA NCAA NCAA Student Athlete Advisory Committee #sports #sportsmarketing

Did you know MLB and NBA dominated the list of top 10 most valuable sports sponsorship assets in 2024? 🏀⚾ Nielsen's top sports trends of 2024 show these leagues delivered nearly $340M in media value! Let me know if we can help you explore how you can leverage these insights to increase your brand visibility. Read the full article here: https://bit.ly/3BlxjcN

Compared: Revenue of Top Sports Teams in North America

“It’s no secret that women’s basketball has been gaining momentum lately and we’ve seen this happen before, but in a different sport—much like women dominated March Madness in 2024, the USWNT made huge strides in viewership and exposure in 1999, a feat that would have been impossible just 30 years prior in the pre-Title IX era. The games were aired on ABC and the network was shocked by the results of the final in particular. The WWC final garnered what was considered an “astonishing” 13.3 rating—more than double what the network projected for the game. An average of 40 million viewers watched some or all of the game, outperforming the previous two men’s World Cup finals as well as the 1999 NBA Finals, and the “controversial” photo taken of of Brandi Chastain ripping her shirt off after her game-winning penalty kick is still considered one of the most iconic Sports Illustrated covers today. ‘It’s very gratifying to know that huge events still have the power to bring in huge ratings on network TV,’ said Mark Mandel, a then-spokesman for ABC, after the final. ‘Clearly there are still opportunities for networks to bring in huge numbers when games are highly dramatic.‘“ The success of this year’s women’s March Madness tournament isn’t a fluke and we know this because similar surges in popularity happened before in women’s soccer. My take on how March Madness 2024 mirrors the 1999 Women’s World Cup and why networks and stakeholders should keep leaning into women’s sports for Awful Announcing: https://lnkd.in/gW3Ydw7x

Orlando Takes the Top Spot in the 2024 Best Sports Business Cities (BSBC) Ranking! The Florida city has surpassed Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Atlanta, and Indianapolis in the Best Sports Business Cities (BSBC) ranking, solidifying itself as a center of excellence for soccer, and attracting the attention of clubs, players, and investors. (source: gazetanews.com) High-Level Events Drive Success: - FC Series: This high-caliber pre-season soccer league brings giants like Real Madrid, Chelsea, Arsenal, Juventus, and Flamengo to Orlando, making the city a coveted destination for the world's top teams. - 2024 Copa América: The Brazilian Men's National Soccer Team will prepare for the tournament in Orlando, including a friendly match against the United States at Camping World Stadium. - Investor Opportunities with A3 Sports Management: A3 Sports Management, a specialist in sports management and business development, offers investors the expertise needed to capitalize on the potential of the Orlando soccer market. Our Services Include: - Market Analysis and Opportunity Identification: We help identify the most promising niches within the Orlando soccer market, focusing on return on investment. - Customized Project Development: We create tailor-made projects for investors, ranging from establishing soccer academies to managing clubs and organizing events. - Connection with Key Stakeholders: We facilitate contact with clubs, players, local authorities, and other stakeholders important to the success of your investment. - Efficient Operational Management: We take over the operational management of your investment, ensuring professionalism, transparency, and results. Join us and be part of the future of soccer in Orlando! A3 Sports Management: Your Strategic Partner for Success in the Soccer Market. Contact: https://lnkd.in/eAiW9jBN #OrlandoSoccerBoom #InvestOrlandoSports #CopaAmericaOrlando #FCSeries #SportBusiness

Soccer's popularity in the U.S. is on the rise & hotter than ever, thanks to its young & diverse audience. According to SBJ, the sport is experiencing growth, & the numbers speak for themselves. Check out the article linked below for more information on the driving force behind soccer's success in the U.S. #multicultural sports marketing Link: https://lnkd.in/eWSJESDf

If you are marketing Major League Soccer or WNBA (Women's National Basketball Association) games, this is an interesting year. If Lionel Messi or Caitlin Clark are on YOUR team, these are fun times. Savor them. It won't always be like this. But if they're NOT on your team, you've got a different situation. Most teams get Messi at least once. WNBA teams get Clark once or twice. These games are selling out, and the value of tickets is sometimes going stratospheric. In a tough business, it's a rare and precious gift to have something that everybody wants! But what do you do with it? You could push prices to the max and make a much fatter-than-usual bank deposit the day after the game. That's tempting. But what does it get you? A few bucks, yes, but fans and potential fans will remember that you maxed them out. The second option is to use this opportunity to build connections with new fans. If they've never been to your venue or seen your team before, you've got their attention. You can still raise prices some, but don't just sell them a ticket. Start a relationship. It takes energy and ingenuity, but there are many ways to do it. The value is much higher than a one-time windfall. Years or even decades of support can be won. https://lnkd.in/gn3rm9Mx

Today’s leading #sports organizations are are revolutionizing fan #experiences through complex #entertainment districts to create an exciting game day experience. Take a look at PwC's Sports Industry Outlook 2024 for the hottest trends shaping the industry: https://pwc.to/3KPIkls

The best-kept secret in Australian sport was revealed yesterday. The teams have been confirmed for the 2025 Vegas opener, and it came with some curveballs. Instead of just the four teams playing for Premiership points, we’ve got an additional 4 teams playing with a Jillaroos v England Women’s game and a Wigan v Warrington game for Super League points. That’s a double, double-header for the American market. These are exciting times, but those teams need to get swiftly into action to start building their brand in market. It’s about to enter football season, and then by the time the end of season rolls around the NBA is also about to tip off for another season. Here’s what I would be prioritising if I was those teams in partnership with the National Rugby League: 1. Establish a relationship with the teams with the same name or mascot in the US market 2. Connect with Australian athletes & influencers who are based in the US. They’ll be able to help bring some of their teammates, friends and other celebrities on board 3. Create a set of individual player highlights that can be used to build profiles for each of your key faces 4. Partnering with the likes of House of Highlights, Bleacher Report, Wave Media, Jomboy Media, Barstool Sports to seed out highlight packages 5. Build a calendar of media opportunities with US television programs and US podcast shows 6. Build a calendar of event attendance opportunities for the offseason with the key teams identified for alignment 7. Work with the USARL to identify and execute local opportunities for brand & community building 8. Invest in a content strategy where players are engaging in US sporting culture and moments 9. Start working with commercial partners locally on opportunities and seeking opportunities in the US to build a commercial portfolio It’s a mountain of effort in such a short period of time. Hopefully, once this event swings around in 2025, the teams for 2026 will be determined and they will get a full 12-month runway. For teams, it will feel hard to embrace the challenge with the focus being on our season locally. However, the opportunity to drive positive audience and revenue on a global scale should not be missed. I can’t wait to see the approach from the NRL and each of the clubs as they navigate an exciting journey to Vegas in 2025. Penrith Panthers One NZ Warriors Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks (National Rugby League) Canberra Raiders Warrington Wolves Wigan Warriors Rugby League Club

Welcome to Unrivaled Sports, Under the Lights Powered by Under Armour! Flag football's popularity has surged over the last decade: 🏈 It will debut as an Olympic sport at the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Los Angeles. 🏈 2.4 million children under 17 participate in organized flag football in the U.S. 🏈 Nearly 500,000 girls played flag football in 2023, a 63% increase since 2019. 🏈 The number of "core" youth flag football players, defined as ages 6-17 who played at least 26 times a year, increased by 14.9% over the past three years. As the second-largest youth flag football operator in the U.S., Under the Lights Powered by Under Armour is now one of 15 premier youth sports properties, including ForeverLawn Sports Complex at the Hall of Fame Village in Canton, Ohio. Under the Lights Powered by Under Armour operates 170 local flag football leagues with 35,000 boys and girls from first through eighth grades, organizing events for more than 5,000 teams in 27 states. OneTeam Partners will retain a stake in the company and explore partnership opportunities to create innovative programming and marketing via access to the NFL Players Association and its players. Read more: https://lnkd.in/dcR5Tstu #sportsbiz #sportsbusiness #flagfootball #football cc: Kurt Badenhausen, Sportico, Amanda Shank, Andrew Campion