THE MAGIC OF THE LEAGUE
“The WNBA [offers] a unique experience. They’re family-oriented because there are only 12 teams. Tickets are affordable, so you can bring your entire family. Players are willing to come up to [fans] after the game, especially pre-Covid. That’s why the WNBA is so important: You see players being actively involved in the fans’ lives. It feels more like a family than entertainment— that’s what sets it apart.”
Arielle Chambers Founder, HighlightHER - Bleacher Report
WHAT SPORTS ADVERTISERS NEED TO KNOW
“We had to reimagine what a sporting event might be. We saw a lot of pivoting of consumption—going to OTT, streaming on digital and social channels. What I’ve seen over the last 18 months as an advertiser that spends a lot on sports partnerships is [that] you’ve got to lean in with your partners, understand where consumption may be shifting and not be afraid to test and learn.”
Casey Hurbis Chief Marketing Officer, Rocket Mortgage
STORYTELLING IN WOMEN’S HOCKEY
“The storytelling about our athletes [is essential for exposure]. Some of our athletes have full-time jobs somewhere else, while trying to play hockey as well. It’s something to be celebrated: We have scientists, police officers, teachers and nurses. [It’s] tremendous multitasking—but we know this about women. There’s content that’s needed around this for exposure deals.”
Tyler Tumminia Commissioner, NWHL
THE VARIETY IN SPORTS VIEWERSHIP
Bo Han Founder & CEO, Buzzer
“There’s a decline when it comes to consumption of live sports. You have the older generation that’s consuming live longform optimized for linear television. Then you have the younger generations, namely Gen-Z and younger millennials, that are purely consuming highlights or clips popularized by Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat.”
WHY SHE OPTED OUT IN 2020
Natasha Cloud Activist & WNBA Champion, Washington Mystics
“We use sports to navigate through social justice. The WNBA [is] at the forefront of every social issue. We stand up, we speak up. In 2020, I decided to opt out [of play]. George Floyd was just murdered. Breonna Taylor was just murdered. The WNBA [is] made up of 80% Black women. When we take these jerseys off at night, we are George Floyd, we are Breonna Taylor. We inherit responsibilities to be a voice for the voiceless.”
ACTIVISM IN THE NBA
Kevin Clayton Vice President, Diversity, Inclusion & Engagement, Cleveland Cavaliers
“Post-George Floyd—for us as the Cavaliers and also [in] the NBA—[we] took a very significant stance. Our players led with protests and statements [that] something has to change. How do we actually help build wealth in the Black community to make sure that the bonds and the chains that have held the community back can be released? By having communities stand on their own two feet economically.”
THE OVERLAP OF GOLF AND BUSINESS
Olajuwon Ajanaku Founder, Eastside Golf
“People say that golf is a sport of business. They mean that whatever goes on on the golf course is a business deal... I worked so hard in golf that I found that anything else I did [in business] was a little easier. Golf requires mental stability, patience, a good set of morals and values. All these things actually end up helping you when you network and want to build a relationship.”
HOW CAN COMPANIES HOLD THEMSELVES ACCOUNTABLE?
Jarvis Sam Vice President, Global Diversity & Inclusion, Nike
“How do we define equity? What’s critical about equity is not only solving for the needs of specific groups and populations and considering that directly, but it’s also important in the drive toward empathy that we identify where we as an organization may have been complicit in the marginalization of certain communities.”
COVID EMPHASIZED CONNECTION
Zack Weiner Cofounder & President, Overtime
“What the pandemic emphasized for us is that having a connection with the sports fan—a true deep connection, a place to engage with them—is really crucial. Internally, we talk a lot about engagement.”
