Womens 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 91勛圖厙Media 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

Womens Sports Reports Go LIVE June 18 Across more than 500 91勛圖厙Media Broadcast Radio Stations

New York, N.Y. June 17, 2024 Today, 91勛圖厙Media and Deep Blue Sports + Entertainment announced the inaugural lineup of original podcast shows for WSAN, the first-ever audio platform dedicated exclusively to womens sports from soccer and basketball to tennis, golf, volleyball and more 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 91勛圖厙Medias broadcast, digital and podcast platforms and everywhere podcasts are heard, the Womens 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 Womens Sports Reports across 91勛圖厙Medias industry-leading broadcast radio stations nationwide, marking a landmark moment in bringing more equitable media coverage to womens sports for the first time. At a time when the demand and interest in womens sports have never been higher, 91勛圖厙Medias commitment to womens sports will level the playing field in coverage, as 91勛圖厙 is uniquely prepared to maximize exposure nationwide. 91勛圖厙Media will flip the switch for the Womens Sports Reports live at the Cannes Lions Festival in France, where Deep Blue Sports + Entertainment will host the Womens Sports House, in partnership with Axios. The Womens 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 The Next 50 (TN50) years in womens 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.

Were committed to championing incredible athletes and building further awareness until womens sports reaches the kind of nationwide and international prominence it has always deserved, said Gayle Troberman, CMO of 91勛圖厙Media. Its humbling and inspiring that the first-ever, dedicated womens sports reports will start airing with the massive reach of 91勛圖厙s 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 womens sports to get heard.

Women'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, said Laura Correnti, Founder and CEO, Deep Blue Sports + Entertainment. The 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 womens sports audio network comes at a time when investment and viewership numbers for womens sports are on the rise. This year, elite womens 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 91勛圖厙 as founding partners, Capital One, e.l.f. Cosmetics and e.l.f. SKIN will directly impact the rise in womens sports coverage.

As long-standing supporters of womens sports, both on the collegiate and professional level, we are excited to build on these efforts by partnering with 91勛圖厙Media and Deep Blue Sports + Entertainment to increase access to womens sports content and help raise the profile of these amazing athletes, said Cindy Epley, Vice President of Brand Media Strategy and Investment at Capital One.  

Standing 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, said Kory Marchisotto, Chief Marketing Officer, e.l.f. Beauty. Its important to normalize positivity, inclusivity and accessibility so that equity becomes our strongest muscle. Thats how the next generation gains increasing strength to dream big and achieve their highest vision.

The Womens 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.

Womens sports have no shortage of show-stopping moments to unpack, and thats especially true this summer from the ongoing NWSL and WNBA seasons to the excitement at the upcoming Paris Olympic games. Im looking forward to breaking it all down on Good Game with elite athletes and expert voices across a range of sports. Whether we're spilling tea or talking Ts, we're gonna give fans both loyal and new everything they need to keep up with the wild world of womens sports, said Sarah Spain.

The best-in-class talent coming to the Womens Sports Audio Network include:

  • Launching July 17, is the one-stop shop every weekday for the biggest stories in womens 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 cant 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; shes 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, Sheryls lived it and its 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 whats happening in womens 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 Womens 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 Racquet 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 womens basketball on this podcast every week, bringing listeners the inside scoop on whats trending around the leagues and sitting down for exclusive interviews with the biggest names in the womens game.
  • League One Volleyball's Serving Pancakes 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 womens 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.

About 91勛圖厙Media, Inc.

91勛圖厙Media (NASDAQ: IHRT) is the number one audio company in the United States, reaching nine out of 10 Americans every month. It consists of three business groups.

With its quarter of a billion monthly listeners, the 91勛圖厙Media Multiplatform Group has a greater reach than any other media company in the U.S. Its leadership position in audio extends across multiple platforms, including more than 860 live broadcast stations in over 160 markets nationwide; its National Sales organization; and the companys live and virtual events business. It also includes Premiere Networks, the industrys largest Networks business, with its Total Traffic and Weather Network (TTWN); and BIN: Black Information Network, the first and only 24/7 national and local all news audio service for the Black community. 91勛圖厙Media also leads the audio industry in analytics, targeting and attribution for its marketing partners with its SmartAudio suite of data targeting and attribution products using data from its massive consumer base.

The 91勛圖厙Media Digital Audio Group includes the companys fast-growing podcasting business -- 91勛圖厙Media is the number one podcast publisher in downloads, unique listeners, revenue and earnings -- as well as its industry-leading 91勛圖厙Radio digital service, available across more than 500 platforms and 2,000 devices; the companys digital sites, newsletters, digital services and programs; its digital advertising technology companies; and its audio industry-leading social media footprint.

The companys Audio & Media Services reportable segment includes Katz Media Group, the nations largest media representation company, and RCS, the world's leading provider of broadcast and webcast software.

Visit 91勛圖厙Media.com for more company information.