Women’s Sports Industry: A Study in Opportunity – Ch 20 Notes from Women in Sport, Greta Cohen, Ed. Notes by Nancy Bailey

Purpose of the chapter Present economic issues impacting women & sport Describe Industry segments Include brief Interviews with experts Present economic issues impacting women & sport Describe Industry segments Include brief Interviews with experts

Professional Leagues: Basketball & Softball Two leagues late 90’s – American Basketball League & the WNBA ABBL: 8 teams playing 40 games; located in college towns; hired some local talent to draw spectators New England franchise drew 8,000 Salaries were about $80,000

ABBL Closed: 1998 Economic reasons: No solid broadcast contract Resulted in limited visibility & marketablility Had Fox & BET, but no major network WNBA opened in June 1997

WNBA Success Located in NBA cities Names of teams somewhat paralleled the NBA teams (Utah Starzz – Jazz; Houston Comets – Rockets) Salaries $32,500 to 60,000 + benefits, Tuition reimbursement, paid maternity leave, in-season housing allowance, per diems

NBA Partnership 1 st players’ union negotiated contract in 1999 Share offices, staffs & facilities NBA internet websites have links to WNBA Publicity during the NBA broadcasts National broadcast contracts: NBC, ESPN, Lifetime

NBA Partnership 2 Local agreements: franchises have contracts with Direct TV called WNBA Season Pass Broadcast in 125 countries in 1999

Softball League International Women’s Professional Softball Association – 10 teams Went broke & folded after four years 1997 Women’s Professional Fastpitch & changed name in ’98:Women’s Pro Softball League Four franchises in 2000

Softball League Description Sponsors: AT&T, B of A, Louisville Slugger, and others Broadcast deal with ESPN2 From , 25 games broadcast Sometimes higher rating than soccer or hockey games Salaries: $ $15,000 for 3 month, 32 game season

Players Belong to the League Salaries are summer supplements for women who work fulltime in the off season Each team has a salary cap Lots of talent disparity in the 1 st year Few players have agents; get endorsements on their own

Not Much Exposure for Players Dot Richardson’s name recognition, for example – Olympic team experience Travel 72 games in 78 days From Tampa to Virginia by bus Two flights to Akron, Ohio Exhibition games v. U.S. Team; broadcast Every team plays every week end

Professional Tours: Golf & Tennis LPGA established in 1949 Babe Zaharias, Patty Berg, Louise Suggs among 13 founders Board members did it all: planned, org. tournaments, managed membership No financial support 1 st year: $50,000 prize money

LPGA Growth In 1959: 26 tournaments for $200,000 In 1996 raised $78 million for charity Eight events had 1 million + purse 34 of 42 tour events broadcast $35.5 million in prize money By 1990’s more TV coverage than other women’s sport: 30 national marketing partners: all major networks + cable

Tennis The economic struggles in women’s sport exemplified in professional tennis Virginia Slims in 1970’s – Billie Jean King 2000: woman winner at Wimbledon: $666,500; male winner:$740,125 French Open $597,000; $628,000- male

U.S Open Equal Prize Money In 2000 the US Open is the only Grand Slam event that has equal $$ Current Tour: Prize money is about $58 million for 58 events Wide TV exposure

International Sport Women’s professional basketball played extensively in Europe, S. America, Japan & Australia Three divisions in Europe; 3 levels Countries: Italy, Greece, France, Spain, Germany, and others Salaries vary widely

Different European Models First Division teams: salaries + room & board 2 nd and 3 rd division teams’ players have other jobs to make a living Japan: Corporate Sort Model: BB, VB, Soccer & Softball Play as part of their job for the corporation Few short term contracts for highly skilled

Greek BB Player’s Experience Gianna Riga: 13 year career, Athens Three point shooting guard Many players also work as coaches at the BB academy for their team 12 teams in division A-1 National League; 22 game season Bus travel, no TV or radio coverage

Other Professional Opportunities NASCAR driving, Indy car, National Hot Rod Bowling Billiards Volleyball Rodeo Soccer

Corporate Sponsorship of Women’s Sport Olympic corporate sponsors: Coca-Cola, McDonald’s, VISA, Nike, Adidas Reasons corporations choose to sponsor: Public awareness, reinforce their product recognition, I.D. company with market segment, involvement in community, good will among opinion makers, media benefits, competitive advantage, hospitality & entertainment.

Examples of Corporate Sponsorship Company gets tickets in turn for displaying logo, ads, etc. Many levels from many sources: Tenn. Lady Vols: State Farm Tip Off Classic; Avon running circuit; WSF many sponsors

Values Vary WNBA sponsors paid $2.5 million annually Electrolux: $1.4 mil for 3-year LPGA Nashville Tournament U.S. Olympic Committee give $ to winners: $50,000 for Gold; $25,000 for Silver & $10,000 Bronze Not much sponsorship for paraOlympics

Women As Sport Consumers Decisions made by women: 86% for all sport clothing purchases Children’s sport clothes: 91% 63% of men’s sports clothing bought by women $143,965 million for athletic footwear 1999 NASCAR cars feature Tide, Pepsi + beer

Women’s Apparel v. Small Men’s Clothes Recent change Designed for women Sports magazines for women SI for Women; Women Sports & Fitness, etc.

Women in Sport Industry Careers Product endorsement increased 60% of US women work full time now In 1952, only 32% worked outside the home Sport industry larger than automobile industry in the U.S. ($213 billion) Sport management, exercise science, sport psychology, nutrition, 200schools offer Sport Management degrees

Opportunities Professional sport, intercollegiate athletics, youth sport, facility management, event management, sporting goods, health, fitness, wellness, recreational sport and sport for people with disabilities and international sport

Male Dominated Careers Although all these careers are male dominated…. Women are in key positions within the: NBA, NHL, NFL, MLB, WNBA, MLB,, minor league baseball, hockey; sporting goods major college programs, fitness centers, sports reporters, broadcast journalists, Olympics and para Olympics

Top Female Sport Executives 46.6% coaches of women’s sport, 2000 Down from 49.4% in 1994 Of 534 new NCAA college jobs in last two years, 107 women were hired Women of color only a fraction of that

Career Advice P. 392 – 393 list of tips Table 3 page 395 lists occupations & earnings averages