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April 26, 2024
This past Tuesday, iHeart Media, one of the US’s most popular audio companies, announced that it will be joining forces with the Deep Blue Sports + Entertainment agency to create the Women’s Sport Audio Network (WSAN). The free, ad-supported network will reportedly be the first-ever audio platform dedicated exclusively to women’s sports.
Featuring leading sports figures including Sheryl Swoopes and Sarah Spain, WSAN will include podcasts, daily sports reports, audio vignettes, social content and promotions that highlight, scale and celebrate women athlete stories. It will be available everywhere podcasts are heard, including on iHeartMedia’s broadcast, digital and podcast platforms and via industry events. With its quarter of a billion monthly listeners, the iHeartMedia Multiplatform Group has a greater reach than any other media company in the country.
“Women’s sports are on fire and so is audio. The timing is perfect to deliver on the massive fan excitement today and most importantly use the power of iHeart’s massive audience reach to ensure women’s sports gets the attention it deserves,” said Gayle Troberman, Chief Marketing Officer for iHeartMedia.
Elite women’s sports are predicted to become a $1 billion market this year, reflecting a 300% increase in only three years. In fact, a recent Deloitte report found that for every dollar spent in women’s sports, more than seven dollars was generated in “customer value for that organization.” However, women’s sports continue to receive just 15% of media coverage in the United States. The partnership therefore seeks to increase equity in coverage, representation and access to women’s sports daily across the country by leveraging iHeart’s mass reach.
“While women’s sports continue to break ratings and attendance records on a seemingly regular basis – it’s imperative the media marketplace and commercial investment keep pace to not just meet consumer demand but sustain this growth market,” emphasized Laura Correnti, Founder and CEO of Deep Blue who is leading the partnership alongside Chief Strategy Officer and WNBA legend Sue Bird. “This partnership effectively moves the coverage of women’s sports from 15% to 90% overnight through the power of audio.”
By launching a network dedicated to delivering what fans want most – more access to the athletes, the influencers, the stories and the daily conversation around all things women sports – iHeartMedia and Deep Blue aim to amplify well-known and new influential women sports athletes and relevant programming to millions of listeners nationwide. WSAN is designed to offer talent and programming year-round with daily shows focused on a wide range of sports and commentary. The partners also seek to unlock access to inventory and opportunities for brands to engage in an emerging market across various sports and communities.
iHeartMedia and Deep Blue hope to reach millions of listeners across the country with well-known and emerging women athletes with influence, as well as brands looking to connect with a growing market in a variety of sports and communities. WSAN will join iHeart’s burgeoning roster of women’s voices in sports podcasting such as Cari Champion and Erin Andrews. Furthermore, the iHeartSports network has committed to running specialized women’s sports reports daily throughout its network.
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