“It’s still really hard to buy women’s sports media,” Brimmer said. “You can kind of roll out of bed and buy whatever you want in the men’s sports media landscape, but you’ve got to work really hard to buy women’s sports.”
Brimmer noted a dedicated marketplace will help brands know where to start for women’s sports marketing, connecting them with bespoke packages and investments with leagues and even athlete-owned entertainment companies.
“You get to hear directly from the media platforms. You’ll get to hear directly from the people involved. You’ll get to hear directly what the opportunities are,” Brimmer said. “I think it will start to make connections that have never been made before.”
Beyond the Caitlin Clark Effect
Professional women’s sports leagues are set to see a rise in viewership and attendance in 2024, which marks the first year of a landmark four-year TV rights deal for the NWSL with CBS Sports, ESPN, Prime Video and Scripps Sports. However, the dedicated sports marketplace goes beyond the pro leagues or even the Caitlin Clark Effect.
“This is about supporting women’s sports, whether that’s what airs on broadcast or understanding how we get in on the bottom floor with NIL deals for female athletes,” Ocasio said. “It’s about embracing the entire ecosystem, and not just one league or the other, but understanding that there are growth possibilities across the board.”
Blich noted that GroupM has been investing in women’s sports for years; however, the ongoing growth of the category led to the commitment to double investment in 2024.
And though the upfront is serving as the kickoff for the dedicated sports marketplace, Ocasio added that GroupM is focused on an ongoing annual commitment.
“We are thinking of this as more than just a one-off opportunity. How do we think about women’s sports, living and breathing throughout an entire year’s media plan?” Ocasio said. “We want to send that message out to the marketplace—what better place to do it than the long-term marketplace that’s called the upfront?”