Laura Correnti on Investing in Women's Sports | The Deal with Alex Rodriguez & Jason Kelly

The Genesis of Deep Blue Sports + Entertainment

• 💡 The pivotal moment for Laura Correnti was the 2019 US Women's National Soccer Team's World Cup victory and the subsequent "equal pay" chant, highlighting a significant gap between momentum and commercial support.
• 🎯 Upon reviewing the NWSL's limited partnerships in 2019, Correnti recognized a systemic issue in how women's sports were being valued and transacted, prompting her to leverage her 20+ years in advertising.

Right-Sizing the Business Case for Women's Sports

• 📊 Correnti highlights that while NWSL sponsorship revenue grew to $75 million in 2024, the average annual value per partner was only $170,000, indicating a need to increase deal sizes.
• 📈 Comparisons to men's sports reveal significant value discrepancies, with a 30-second spot in the MLB World Series costing more than an entire season's partnership with a women's team at the time.
• 💰 Brands like Ally Financial have demonstrated a commitment beyond simple investment, actively working to create the market inventory needed to meet their own sponsorship goals.

The Rise of the Multi-Hyphenate Athlete

• 🚀 Athletes like Nafissa Kier exemplify the "multi-hyphenate" model, excelling as entrepreneurs (e.g., starting Unrivaled) and public figures beyond their athletic careers.
• 🌟 The value of athletes extends beyond on-court performance to their roles as moms, fashion icons, and business leaders, appealing to a broader fan base.
• 🤝 Partnerships with athletes like Sue Bird provide invaluable first-person perspectives, crucial for brands and agencies creating authentic campaigns in women's sports.

Evolving Ownership and Investment Models

• 🧩 Deep Blue Sports + Entertainment is moving beyond agency services to IP development (iHeart women's sports), live events (Business of Women's Sports Summit), and venture investments.
• 📈 The traditional men's sports playbook is insufficient for women's sports; owners must understand the unique fan experience, including nuances like stroller parking and mother rooms.
• 📊 Data ownership is critical, as real-time insights into fan behavior and spending are essential for advertisers, a gap that platforms like Jump aim to fill.

Media Rights and the Future of Fan Engagement

• ⚠️ The fragmentation of media rights across multiple networks makes women's sports difficult to find and buy, disrupting audience experience and diluting value.
• 💸 The high cost of subscriptions for fans to follow entire seasons (e.g., NFL at $1,000+) is becoming untenable, a trend mirrored in women's sports platforms.
• 🎯 A streamlined media approach is needed to enhance fan accessibility and advertiser efficiency, moving away from complex multi-partner distribution models.

The Broader Impact of Women's Sports

• 🌱 Keeping girls in sports is crucial, as 45% drop out by age 14, often due to body confidence issues influenced by media and marketing.
• 🌟 The leadership pipeline is significantly influenced by sports participation, with 94% of women in CEO roles having played sports at some point.
• 🚀 The "leave it better than we found it" mentality within the women's sports community drives long-term social and economic impact far beyond short-term valuations.