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The news: Women鈥檚 sports is continuing to grow in relevance, reaching new milestones in 2024, per research from the charity Women鈥檚 Sport Trust. Leagues like the Women鈥檚 National Basketball Association (WNBA) grew significantly across social media in the 2024 season, reaching a single-season record of nearly 2 billion video views across WNBA social media platforms鈥攎ore than quadruple the previous season. Our take: As more brands invest in women鈥檚 sports and viewership spikes, advertisers must recognize women鈥檚 sports not as a niche category only relevant for select moments, but as a critical part of a comprehensive sports marketing campaign.

Indy 500 hits viewership record in its first time airing on Fox: The event highlights the ongoing battle for media companies to secure sports rights.

YouTube鈥檚 hiring of ESPN veteran Justin Connolly triggers a Disney lawsuit: The clash underscores rising tensions over live sports streaming supremacy.

NBCU looks to secure MLB rights after ESPN backs out: The deal would position NBCU as a one-stop shop for sports, enhancing its value for advertisers.

YouTube strikes deal to broadcast first game of the NFL season: The move responds to fans embracing digital for sports and presents an opportunity for advertisers.

The news: BetterHelp inked a deal with three WNBA teams to market and raise awareness of mental health services. Our take: Marketing healthcare products and services by making brand connections to aspirational healthiness via sports is a savvy strategic play for BetterHelp. The company鈥檚 lean into women鈥檚 sports, and especially tapping the surging popularity of the WNBA with relatable personal stories on Instagram, carves out a niche.

The news: Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) plans to split into two separate public companies by 2026, one focused on streaming and studios and the other on global cable networks, the company announced. Its streaming company will include HBO Max and WBD鈥檚 movie properties, while the global networks company will include TNT Sports, Discovery, and CNN. Our take: WBD鈥檚 move emphasizes that sticking with a one-size-fits-all model is no longer viable given traditional TV declines and the rise of streaming. Managing decline while pursuing growth requires two fundamentally different playbooks.

The news: The 2025 NBA Finals drew just 10.2 million viewers on average, among the weakest results in two decades鈥攜et Game 7 peaked at 19.3 million, the highest since 2019. Traditional ratings miss the full picture, though: social views on NBA Finals content soared 215% year over year to 5 billion. Our take: Gen Z sports fans are watching differently鈥攙ia highlights, short clips, and mobile-first formats on YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok. TV still matters, but leagues like the NBA must master new distribution models. With streaming growth and a massive $76B media deal in place, the future is already digital.

The news: Cannes Lions 2025 kicks off June 16, with media companies and platforms turning the festival into a proving ground for brand innovation. Spotify is merging live acts like Cardi B with audiobook tastings and celebrity panels, while Canva hosts CMO roundtables alongside design influencers. Google, Uber, and Influential are anchoring talks on TV, sports, and creator-driven engagement鈥攚ith yacht-side podcasts and fundraising activations adding a new layer of purpose. Our take: This year鈥檚 Cannes isn鈥檛 about opulence鈥攊t鈥檚 about ownership. Brands that bring substance, not just spectacle, will emerge with more than headlines鈥攖hey鈥檒l leave with lasting partnerships and fresh strategic playbooks.

As college sports amateurism dies, marketers are increasingly working with student-athlete influencers.

Millennials and Gen Zers can finance snow sport luxury with BNPL鈥攂oosting Affirm鈥檚 non-retail volume.

TikTok extends its partnership with MLS: The move is part of a broader trend of brands investing in sports.

NBCU highlights sports, streaming at Upfront event: The presentation outlined NBCU鈥檚 plan to offset declining traditional TV revenues.

Women's sports viewership continues its upward trajectory with the NCAA women's basketball championship game drawing over 8 million viewers and peaking at 9.8 million, per ESPN ratings. While that figure is down over 2024鈥檚 18.5 million, it represents a longer trend of sustained growth in women鈥檚 sports viewership. This phenomenon can no longer be attributed to one single star athlete鈥擟aitlin Clark鈥攂ut to an overall increase in women鈥檚 sports popularity.

Sports remains a profitable ad opportunity: Two-thirds of Americans are sports fans and over half have made a purchase based on audio ads.

On today鈥檚 podcast episode, we discuss how March Madness viewership stacked up this year, if women鈥檚 college basketball was able to sustain the bump from the 鈥楥aitlin Clark effect鈥�, and how viewers of women鈥檚 sports are both different and the same. Join Senior Director of Podcasts and host Marcus Johnson, Analyst Paola Flores-Marquez, Vice President of Content Paul Verna, and Vice President of Inclusive Insights Charlene Polite Corley. Listen everywhere and watch on YouTube and Spotify.

Digital eclipsed traditional pay TV among live sports viewers in 2023. As that lead grows, the growth of women鈥檚 sports and betting apps provides marketers with opportunities to reach new audiences.

Sports discussions see growth on Threads: The shift indicates that the platform could be closer to outpacing X than initially thought.

European streaming platform DAZN will spend more on sports rights than any other service worldwide, per February 2025 data from Ampere Analysis.