{"id":516702,"date":"2026-03-11T08:44:20","date_gmt":"2026-03-11T08:44:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/516702\/"},"modified":"2026-03-11T08:44:20","modified_gmt":"2026-03-11T08:44:20","slug":"inside-the-explosive-growth-of-womens-sports-focused-podcasts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/516702\/","title":{"rendered":"Inside the explosive growth of women’s sports-focused podcasts"},"content":{"rendered":"

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A chance meeting on an Australian wine-tasting tour during the 2023 Women\u2019s World Cup helped lead to Sarah Spain\u2019s women\u2019s sports podcast, \u201cGood Game.\u201d<\/p>\n

Vox Media\u2019s Nishat Kurwa was so impressed with Megan Rapinoe at South by Southwest that she got the company to launch \u201cA Touch More\u201d with the former USWNT star and her equally impressive fiancee, basketball Hall of Famer Sue Bird, within months.<\/p>\n

As an athlete, Sam Mewis got her podcasting start with Just Women\u2019s Sports before her work on the World Cup two years ago prompted Men In Blazers to tap the now-retired soccer standout to lead \u201cThe Women\u2019s Game.\u201d<\/p>\n

Within the past couple of years, all saw a wide open lane for women\u2019s sports podcasts, launching shows that have become some of the most popular in a quickly growing space, with the overall podcast market estimated to be worth $25 billion to $30 billion last year.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s just people lifting each other up, wanting to work together. Even people who allegedly are \u2018rivals\u2019 in the space, we\u2019re going on each other\u2019s shows. We\u2019re playing clips from each other\u2019s shows,\u201d Spain said. \u201cWe\u2019re saying the more the merrier. We\u2019re saying more \u2018come cover this, talk about this, be part of this.\u2019 And it is such a different energy.\u201d<\/p>\n

That energy has led to a rise in podcasts focused on women\u2019s sports. Sports Business Journal compiled an extensive list of more than 80 shows in the space. Nearly 72% of those have launched since the start of 2024, a rapid increase that saw the growth of women\u2019s sports meet a post-pandemic podcasting boom. Just this month, four more shows were announced, including only the second daily women\u2019s sports podcast after Spain\u2019s.<\/p>\n

Other popular shows, like The Athletic\u2019s \u201cFull Time\u201d and The IX\u2019s \u201cLocked On Women\u2019s Basketball,\u201d caught the front end of the trend, launching since 2020 as women\u2019s sports saw a massive rise. Athlete voices have helped set the narrative<\/a>, with everyone from WNBA legend Sheryl Swoopes to UConn\u2019s Azzi Fudd hosting shows. The U.S. women\u2019s national soccer team alone counts at least a dozen former players with at least one podcast.<\/p>\n

While the space includes plenty of shows focusing on the biggest sports \u2014 basketball and soccer dominate \u2014 it includes a spectrum, with shows focused on tennis, hockey and volleyball, among others. And among the community of listeners each is building are everyone from newcomers to longtime fans, league stakeholders to brand reps.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe biggest reason why it\u2019s coming now is people are willing to invest in it. I think the talent and the desire to have it from a fan base has always been there. I think the industry has caught up,\u201d said Jessica Dolan Clarendon, co-founder and CEO of Ten Fifteen Company launched by Bird and Rapinoe.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think we could have had women\u2019s sports podcasts for many, many years. I think people would\u2019ve listened to them. We certainly have the personalities in women\u2019s sports to be able to execute that. \u2026 But the industry has caught up and is investing, and people can do it now in a way that doesn\u2019t feel like you\u2019re having to record it from your basement or your guest bedroom. And it\u2019s allowing us to put a spotlight on it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"UConn’sUConn\u2019s Azzi Fudd hosts “Fudd Around And Find Out.” YouTube \/ Fudd Around And Find Out Proof of concept <\/p>\n

For the investment to come, the inventory had to go first.<\/p>\n

As Deep Blue Sports + Entertainment prepared to launch in late 2023, founder Laura Correnti met Spain on a wine tour with Angel City staffers at the World Cup. Correnti, who hosts \u201cCourtside,\u201d and Deep Blue would partner with iHeartMedia to launch the Women\u2019s Sports Network of podcasts, which now includes 15 shows.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe knew the podcast space was growing,\u201d said Nikita Malhotra, COO at Deep Blue. \u201cWe also believed, as you looked out in the space and most of the data, female voices are underserved, and all these athletes have amazing stories.\u201d<\/p>\n

Spain had been enjoying a break after 13 years of doing a daily show at ESPN when Correnti had Bird, who is chief strategy officer at Deep Blue, reach out to gauge her interest in a show.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd because I\u2019m a masochist, I said, \u2018It has to be a daily show. There is no daily women\u2019s sports show,\u2019\u201d Spain said. \u201cThere is no institutional, repetitive knowledge that keeps people updated regularly enough so that when they hear a game is happening, they know enough about the teams and the stakes and the stories and what\u2019s going on to be like, \u2018I want to go watch that.\u2019 And it\u2019s not a tough concept, but the media has failed for decades and decades to do the same thing for women\u2019s sports that they do for men\u2019s.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"SarahSarah Spain’s “Good Game” podcast offers a daily look at women’s sports. Good Game with Sarah Spain <\/p>\n

The ability to shape the narrative around women\u2019s sports became appealing to Rapinoe and Bird, who, in addition to their popular show, host \u201cBird\u2019s Eye View,\u201d focused on women\u2019s basketball.<\/p>\n

Their background as superstar athletes, investors and activists made them appealing across the board, said Kurwa, senior vice president and executive producer of audio at Vox Media. The platform gave them, and other hosts, the ability to set the narrative around women\u2019s sports, where traditional media have struggled. Historically, women\u2019s sports have made up just 4% of coverage though research from The Collective, Wasserman\u2019s women-focused advisory business, shows that has increased in recent years to 15%.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you were simply trying to understand the growth of women\u2019s sports through mainstream media narratives, you just wouldn\u2019t be getting the picture,\u201d Kurwa said. \u201cAnd it\u2019s a lot more fun, frankly, to hear.\u201d<\/p>\n

Athletes are driving a lot of that narrative, something Mewis embraces. Before her retirement, she hosted \u201cSnacks\u201d on Just Women\u2019s Sports. While injured during the World Cup, she appeared on the Men In Blazers platforms and it performed so well that the network tapped her to run its women\u2019s vertical and podcast of the same name, \u201cThe Women\u2019s Game.\u201d<\/p>\n

Launched in 2024, the podcast averaged more than 28,000 engagements per day and saw 43% growth this year. The vertical now includes multiple shows hosted with and by USWNT stars, including Mewis\u2019 sister, Kristie.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you were simply trying to understand the growth of women\u2019s sports through mainstream media narratives, you just wouldn\u2019t be getting the picture. And it\u2019s a lot more fun, frankly, to hear.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2014 \u00a0Nishat Kurwa, Vox Media<\/p>\n

Though they each have their own lanes, the hosts are frequently guests on others\u2019 shows, as Sam and Kristie Mewis were on a recent episode of \u201cA Touch More.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re obviously not mirroring everything we do after men\u2019s sports, but there are thousands of podcasts about men\u2019s sports and you find the voice that you like, you find the people you agree with,\u201d Mewis said. \u201cThat\u2019s kind of what we\u2019re starting to create are these individualized and personal areas for audiences to gravitate towards and listen to. … Everybody has their own spin on it, which makes it so fun and I think opens up women\u2019s sports to an even bigger audience, because somebody is going to be able to find where they want to go.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"SANSam Mewis was hired by the Men In Blazers to run its women\u2019s vertical and podcast of the same name, \u201cThe Women\u2019s Game.\u201d NWSL via Getty Images The \u2018joy\u2019 factor<\/p>\n

At an Octagon event before the NWSL Championship last month, USWNT head coach Emma Hayes made a comparison<\/a> that Spain has come to cite often: Men\u2019s sports events make people feel cortisol, while women\u2019s sports events make them feel dopamine.<\/p>\n

Extend that to podcasts, and the appeal is clear.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt doesn\u2019t have to always be the sob story or the fight, or, yes, it has been underinvested in for its entire existence,\u201d Dolan Clarendon said, \u201cbut there has also been an incredible amount of joy that it has brought people.\u201d<\/p>\n

That joy is in creating inclusive spaces and a sometimes parasocial relationship that brings listeners closer to the hosts. Rapinoe and Bird feature a \u201cBicker of the Week\u201d that offers listeners an insight into their relationship and different personalities. \u201cUnsupervised\u201d hosts Sydney Colson and Theresa Plaisance call their listeners Babysitters. Spain\u2019s listeners opted to call themselves Slices (like oranges for a team after a game), a moniker which has been adopted so quickly that fans showed up in merchandise within weeks of its release at Spain\u2019s live show during the Final Four. <\/p>\n

By their nature, they speak to an audience that has been overlooked because the sports they follow have been overlooked. Data from Podchaser shows that across women\u2019s sports podcasts, the average age is 29 and 76% of the shows skew toward a female audience.<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel like I\u2019m in this very safe and happy and loving women\u2019s sports space,\u201d Mewis said, \u201cand maybe that\u2019s the answer, is that if you want to be a fan of women\u2019s sports, we\u2019re here and we would love you to be here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Those have been more welcoming than podcasts focused on men\u2019s sports, which have evolved from a more aggressive sports talk radio background. In a space that\u2019s still evolving, with diehard fans who have invested over years and those discovering these sports anew, there\u2019s not an artificial barrier to entry or dated idea of who gets to be part of the conversation.<\/p>\n

Spain, for her part, embraces the way women\u2019s sports intersect with social issues, speaking openly on topics that affect athletes who have been discriminated against for being women or Black or queer, or any number of things that have disadvantaged them in society and sport.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s very natural for me, knowing that I\u2019m talking to a lot of journalists and athletes and fans that are queer, to just talk about that more than I ever would in a space,\u201d she said. \u201cAnd I think when I was covering men\u2019s sports, I was myself but only a portion of myself. I had parts of myself that felt as though they would alienate or cause people to make a judgment about my either abilities or knowledge or capabilities in the job. I would just leave them out, because it wasn\u2019t worth risking for a joke or a comment losing the audience entirely, whereas in this space, I am entirely myself.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"“Post\u201cPost Moves,\u201d hosted by Hall of Famer Candace Parker and Fever forward Aliyah Boston, also held a live event at WNBA All-Star Weekend. Rachel Axon Coming to a city near you<\/p>\n

On the Friday of WNBA All-Star Weekend, fans clad in \u201cEveryone Watches Women\u2019s Sports\u201d merch and \u201cRapinoe-Bird 2020\u201d shirts lined up outside Helium Comedy Club in Indianapolis for a live recording of \u201cA Touch More.\u201d With snacks and drinks in hand once inside, they got Bird and Rapinoe\u2019s usual banter and humor, as well as a surprise appearance from Fever star Caitlin Clark.<\/p>\n

With palpable giddiness \u2014 one fan exclaimed \u201cI\u2019m really gonna cry\u201d when Clark took the stage \u2014 they laughed along to meme-ified photos of Clark (including a butter sculpture at the Iowa State Fair) and the show\u2019s usual game of \u201cBench, Start, Cut.\u201d<\/p>\n

Four other shows held live events that day, including the launch of \u201cPost Moves\u201d with Hall of Famer Candace Parker and Fever forward Aliyah Boston.<\/p>\n

\u201cWomen\u2019s sports is booming and everything around it,\u201d Parker said. \u201cPeople are more open and seeing that there is a place for things like this.\u201d<\/p>\n

So have brands, which are backing the growth. In addition to ad inventory on their shows, the podcasts are pulling in more sponsorships through their live events. Zillow and Adidas sponsored the \u201cPost Moves\u201d debut show, while Delta, Icy Hot, Google Pixel and Volkswagon have sponsored live shows for \u201cA Touch More.\u201d Some leagues, including the NWSL and PWHL, either partner with or have their own shows.<\/p>\n

The NWSL launched its version of a radio row at its championship last month, with nearly a dozen outlets from The Athletic and The Gist to CBS Sports and Togethxr setting up in the San Jose Civic Center for shows.<\/p>\n

Live shows and social media clips have given women\u2019s sports podcasts legs and engagement (as well as more revenue) outside those who download and listen during their commutes or workouts every week. \u201cA Touch More\u201d has done around 10 live events, everywhere from SXSW to chatting with Chelsea Clinton at The Business of Women\u2019s Sports Summit. Spain has taken \u201cGood Game\u201d for live shows at the Final Four (with Bird and Diana Taurasi) and the NWSL final (with Brandi Chastain), among others.<\/p>\n

\u201cWomen also, the questions they ask, it\u2019s just so genuine,\u201d said Malhotra at Deep Blue. \u201cIt\u2019s not scripted. \u2026 You can literally see them up there just chatting.\u201d<\/p>\n

Whether live or in social media clips, that chatting is something listeners want more of. <\/p>\n

Beyond reaching listeners in person, they\u2019re finding and creating new fans on social media, leveraging short clips to gain traction on Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat and YouTube. From Kelley O\u2019Hara\u2019s Just Women\u2019s Sports show \u201cSports Are Fun!\u201d to \u201cWelcome to the Party\u201d \u2014 which Abby Wambach, Julie Foudy and Billie Jean King launched in September \u2014 social videos pull in an audience.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur media brands love that,\u201d Malhotra said. \u201cMaybe you\u2019re not listening to the entire podcast, but you\u2019re seeing three or four 30-second clips.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"AbbyAbby Wambach, Julie Foudy and Billie Jean King launched “Welcome to the Party” in September. Here, Foudy and Wambach catch up with Nneka Ogwumike to get updated on WNBA labor talks. YouTube \/ Welcome to the Party <\/p>\n

Fans are getting even more. Just in the past month, The Gist launched a series \u201cShe\u2019s Not Next, She\u2019s Now\u201d looking at emerging women\u2019s sports leagues, including the PWHL and LOVB. Storied Sports launched \u201cOrigin Story: The 85ers\u201d with the debut season of the podcast digging into the origins of the USWNT as it started international play with no pay, uniforms or attention.<\/p>\n

And The IX launched two new shows, including \u201cWomen\u2019s Sports Daily,\u201d the only other daily show in the space besides \u201cGood Game.\u201d While the format differs \u2014 \u201cGood Game\u201d covers the news and has a longer interview component, while \u201cWomen\u2019s Sports Daily\u201d offers a quick look at the headlines \u2014 having another show in the space is something Spain welcomes.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo bring money to this space, you need to make sure people are caring about women\u2019s sports on a daily basis,\u201d Malhotra said. \u201cWe really felt the daily thing was really important, and we love that another person\u2019s doing it.\u201d<\/p>\n

The white space that so many hosts and production companies saw just a few years ago might be a little more crowded these days. But the industry hasn\u2019t reached saturation, and those in the space see plenty of room for more.<\/p>\n

Shows with more current athletes would be at the top of the list for Jessie Katz, head of iHeart Women\u2019s Sports. That network is in production on five more women\u2019s sports shows to be announced next year. <\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a lot of room left to grow in that space, and I think audiences will just eat it up,\u201d Katz said. \u201cI think we\u2019re not in a moment anymore of trying to prove that it\u2019s a worthwhile investment. Now it\u2019s about creating scale.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rachel Axon can be reached at raxon@sportsbusinessjournal.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n