Women鈥檚 Sports Audio Network Announces Slate of Original Shows Across a Range of Sports, Adding Capital One and e.l.f. as Founding Partners
WSAN, founded by 蜜桃直播 and Deep Blue Sports + Entertainment, reveals new programming from top athletes and personalities including Madison Packer and Anya Packer, Tisha Alyn, Sheryl Swoopes, Rennae Stubbs, Khristina Williams and Sarah Spain
鈥淲omen鈥檚 Sports Reports鈥 Go LIVE June 18 Across more than 500 蜜桃直播 Broadcast Radio Stations
New York, N.Y. 鈥 June 17, 2024 鈥 Today, 蜜桃直播 and Deep Blue Sports + Entertainment announced the inaugural lineup of original podcast shows for WSAN, the first-ever audio platform dedicated exclusively to women鈥檚 sports 鈥 from soccer and basketball to tennis, golf, volleyball and more 鈥 featuring top athletes and personalities at the helm. Additionally, Capital One, e.l.f. Cosmetics and e.l.f. SKIN join as the founding partners of the new network.
As a free, ad-supported network available across 蜜桃直播鈥檚 broadcast, digital and podcast platforms and everywhere podcasts are heard, the Women鈥檚 Sports Audio Network is designed to amplify well-known and new influential women sports athletes and relevant programming to millions of listeners nationwide, and also unlock access to inventory and opportunities for brands to engage.
Along with a slate of new shows, on June 18 WSAN will launch regular 鈥淲omen鈥檚 Sports Reports鈥 across 蜜桃直播鈥檚 industry-leading broadcast radio stations nationwide, marking a landmark moment in bringing more equitable media coverage to women鈥檚 sports for the first time. At a time when the demand and interest in women鈥檚 sports have never been higher, 蜜桃直播鈥檚 commitment to women鈥檚 sports will level the playing field in coverage, as iHeart is uniquely prepared to maximize exposure nationwide. 蜜桃直播 will flip the switch for the 鈥淲omen鈥檚 Sports Reports鈥 live at the Cannes Lions Festival in France, where Deep Blue Sports + Entertainment will host the Women鈥檚 Sports House, in partnership with Axios. The Women鈥檚 Sports House is part of TN50, a dedicated content platform and thought leadership series from Axios and Deep Blue Sports + Entertainment that explores the dollars and decisions required to drive 鈥淭he Next 50鈥 (TN50) years in women鈥檚 sports. The event includes three days of dedicated programming exploring the future of business, leadership, creativity and talent within women's sports for the next 50 years.
鈥淲e鈥檙e committed to championing incredible athletes and building further awareness until women鈥檚 sports reaches the kind of nationwide and international prominence it has always deserved,鈥 said Gayle Troberman, CMO of 蜜桃直播. 鈥淚t鈥檚 humbling and inspiring that the first-ever, dedicated women鈥檚 sports reports will start airing with the massive reach of iHeart鈥檚 broadcast radio platform and the full-on power of collaboration between world class athletes, incredible journalists, podcasters and the fans. This is a pivotal moment for women鈥檚 sports to get heard.鈥
鈥淲omen's sports aren't just having a moment, it is the moment. And yet women's sports content continues to be difficult to find and difficult to buy,鈥 said Laura Correnti, Founder and CEO, Deep Blue Sports + Entertainment. 鈥淭he Women's Sports Audio Network aims to change that -- providing an accessible platform for every fan, from the most casual to biggest of super fans, to be educated and entertained while expanding the aperture of investment opportunities for brands to reach and engage with a dialed-in women's sports community."
The launch of the first-ever women鈥檚 sports audio network comes at a time when investment and viewership numbers for women鈥檚 sports are on the rise. This year, elite women鈥檚 sports are currently expected to become a, representing a 300% increase in just three years, while in the US, women's sports still only receive . By partnering with iHeart as founding partners, Capital One, e.l.f. Cosmetics and e.l.f. SKIN will directly impact the rise in women鈥檚 sports coverage.
鈥淎s long-standing supporters of women鈥檚 sports, both on the collegiate and professional level, we are excited to build on these efforts by partnering with 蜜桃直播 and Deep Blue Sports + Entertainment to increase access to women鈥檚 sports content and help raise the profile of these amazing athletes,鈥 said Cindy Epley, Vice President of Brand Media Strategy and Investment at Capital One.
鈥淪tanding with every eye, lip and face means supporting the community all day, every day. Our support is especially prominent where we see the underrepresentation of women, both as athletes and in the surrounding content. So, we are taking over the mic to change the conversation,鈥 said Kory Marchisotto, Chief Marketing Officer, e.l.f. Beauty. 鈥淚t鈥檚 important to normalize positivity, inclusivity and accessibility so that equity becomes our strongest muscle. That鈥檚 how the next generation gains increasing strength to dream big and achieve their highest vision.鈥
The Women鈥檚 Sports Audio Network will spotlight and celebrate the athletes who move, entertain and inspire in the game and in their personal lives, with hosts including hockey stars Madison Packer and Anya Packer, tennis Grand Slam winner Rennae Stubbs, WNBA legend Sheryl Swoopes, and golf media personality Tisha Alyn, as well as revered personalities Khristina Williams and Sarah Spain.
鈥淲omen鈥檚 sports have no shortage of show-stopping moments to unpack, and that鈥檚 especially true this summer 鈥 from the ongoing NWSL and WNBA seasons to the excitement at the upcoming Paris Olympic games. I鈥檓 looking forward to breaking it all down on 鈥楪ood Game鈥 with elite athletes and expert voices across a range of sports. Whether we're spilling tea or talking 鈥楾s鈥, we're gonna give fans both loyal and new everything they need to keep up with the wild world of women鈥檚 sports,鈥 said Sarah Spain.
The best-in-class talent coming to the Women鈥檚 Sports Audio Network include:
- Launching July 17, is the one-stop shop every weekday for the biggest stories in women鈥檚 sports. Along with breaking news and interviews, Sarah will be regularly joined by a roster of guests -- athletes, coaches, reporters, celebrity fans and more -- to talk about the games listeners can鈥檛 miss and debate the issues of the day. From the play on the court to the drama off it, "Good Game" will give listeners what they need to know every day in women's sports.
- Basketball legend Sheryl Swoopes is not just a four-time WNBA champion, three-time Olympic gold medalist, Hall-of-Famer and first woman athlete to have a Nike shoe named after her; she鈥檚 also the realest in the game. Listeners can join her to have the hard conversations, about basketball, motherhood, retirement, mental health and much more. You name it, Sheryl鈥檚 lived it 鈥 and it鈥檚 about to get real.
- Pro golfer and media personality Tisha Alyn extends her influence into audio with a podcast on her personal take on everything from what鈥檚 happening in women鈥檚 golf to other areas like fitness, entrepreneurship, lifestyle and LGBTQ culture. Tisha is here to inspire the next generation of athletes.
- Professional hockey all-star Madison Packer, who plays in the new Professional Women鈥檚 Hockey League (PWHL), is joined by her wife and former pro hockey player Anya Packer to discuss life on and off the ice and debate which is more grueling: a career in hockey or raising two kids under three.
- Listeners can join hosts Rennae Stubbs, a tennis great, and 鈥淩acquet鈥 magazine co-founder Caitlin Thompson as they talk to their friends and favorite tennis players about life, love and sometimes even tennis - bringing the experience of six Grand Slam titles to the mic.
- WNBA insider Khristina Williams will break down the biggest stories in women鈥檚 basketball on this podcast every week, bringing listeners the inside scoop on what鈥檚 trending around the leagues and sitting down for exclusive interviews with the biggest names in the women鈥檚 game.
- 鈥淟eague One Volleyball's Serving Pancakes鈥 will dig into the perspectives, memories and never-before-told stories from the people making the biggest impact on global volleyball and women's sports, as well as unfiltered analysis and authentic conversations about the game itself.
Show launch dates coming soon with more talent to be announced.
About Deep Blue
Deep Blue exists to identify, create, and influence business models and growth opportunities in emerging markets in sports and entertainment, including the firm's first vertical of focus: women's sports.
Deep Blue includes media, marketing and advertising practitioners working alongside athletes to ensure brands have a first-person perspective when building their women鈥檚 sport-focused marketing strategies and brand messaging. Led by Founder and CEO Laura Correnti, and Chief Strategy Officer, Partner, and WNBA legend Sue Bird, Deep Blue provides agency services including platform development and brand strategy, media investment, brand partnerships, ad campaign and content development, experiential marketing, league and club asset media value analysis and ancillary media / content strategy development, athlete / influencer partnerships, brand and thought leadership communications strategy, analytics and measurement framework development, and beyond.
The firm also includes an Athlete Advisory Council that helps inform client work. Founding members include Rennae Stubbs, ESPN commentator and former professional tennis player; professional golfer and media influencer Shasta Averyhardt; former Australian Cricket player and international cricket commentator Melanie Jones OAM; Olympian and former professional soccer player turned broadcaster, influencer, and entrepreneur Melissa Ortiz.