New York, NY (March 16, 2023) — NBC Sports and the Women’s Sports Foundation (WSF) announced today the extension of their long-standing partnership, which will be expanded on the heels of last year’s milestone – Title IX’s 50th anniversary. WSF, founded by Billie Jean King, and NBC Sports will provide tools and resources to inspire girls and women in sport so they can reach their full potential in sport and life. The five-year commitment incorporates elements of content creation, marketing, mentorship, and community outreach, and will involve multiple divisions within NBC Sports that will heighten their focus on WSF and the issues that impact women athletes on and off the field of play.
“Relationships are everything and having a multi-faceted partnership with a media powerhouse like NBC Sports is vital as we work towards gender equity on and off the field of play,” said Billie Jean King. “The renewal of our partnership with NBC Sports, and their continued support of the Women’s Sports Foundation, allows us to reach wider and advocate stronger for every girl and woman through the power of sport.”
“Our work at the Women’s Sports Foundation would not be possible without collaborative partnerships, and we are grateful to have NBC Sports working alongside us for another five years. NBC Sports has best-in-class resources in content creation, marketing and promotion, and we are thrilled that they have agreed to use their platforms in support of our important mission and initiatives,” said WSF CEO Danette Leighton. “Together, we will invest in the untapped potential of women in sports, while giving them the tools they need to be successful in all aspects of life.”
“NBC Sports is thrilled to extend our partnership with the Women’s Sports Foundation and build upon the success we have achieved together thus far. It is gratifying to see our collaboration expand to encompass so many areas within NBC Sports, such as On Her Turf and SportsEngine, and we’re excited to get to work,” said Pete Bevacqua, Chairman, NBC Sports.
The extended partnership between WSF and NBC Sports has many diverse components. For example, the parties will explore the creation of a content partnership between WSF and On Her Turf, NBC Sports’ multi-platform women’s empowerment brand focused on the athletes and issues surrounding women’s sports, including the integration of WSF messaging and initiatives into On Her Turf “content pillars” several times each year.
In addition, in light of NBC’s new partnership with the Big Ten Conference and its preexisting relationships with the University of Notre Dame and HBCU institutions, the parties will seek to work together on college campuses throughout the country, including the creation of career-focused panels for women student-athletes, focus on the expansion of NBC Sports’ NIL platform, promotion of On Her Turf Campus Ambassador programs, and incorporation of WSF’s Athlete Leadership Connection.
The partnership will also explore ways to integrate resources from WSF’s We Play Interactive®, a first-of-its kind digital resource for coaches, program leaders and mentors of girl-serving sports programs, into the distribution channels of NBC Sports Next’s industry-leading youth sports and team management technology platform SportsEngine. In addition, NBC Sports Next will amplify WSF-related content developed in conjunction with NBC Sports and On Her Turf.
To build further awareness of WSF and to promote the partnership on a national scale, NBC Sports will fulfill some of the WSF’s English- and Spanish-language creative needs related to WSF’s Annual Salute to Women in Sports and Sportswoman of the Year awards, as well as in recognition of an upcoming series of milestones.
The parties will continue to undertake their impactful Student-Athlete Mentoring Program, which launched in the fall of 2019. To date, the program, designed to help women NCAA student-athletes translate the valuable skills they have acquired through their collegiate sport participation into successful careers off the field of play, has enlisted 72 student-athletes in 19 sports, across 29 universities.
Finally, as part of the renewed partnership, NBC Sports will work with WSF on potential opportunities for NBC Sports employees to volunteer their time in support of WSF’s community partners in key NBC Sports locations, including Stamford, CT, Minneapolis, MN, and Orlando, FL.
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About NBC Sports
NBC Sports connects people to the moments that matter most and serves sports fans 24/7 with premier live events, insightful studio shows, and compelling original programming. As the sports division of NBCUniversal, NBC Sports presents premier content across linear platforms NBC, USA Network, Golf Channel, as well numerous digital sites, including Peacock. NBC Sports possesses an unparalleled collection of media rights agreements, partnering with some of the most prestigious sports properties in the world: the International Olympic Committee and United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee, the NFL, Big Ten Conference, NASCAR, INDYCAR, PGA TOUR, Notre Dame, The R&A, PGA of America, USGA, Churchill Downs, Premier League, MLB, Tour de France, Roland-Garros, and many more. It also consists of NBC Sports Next, a subdivision of NBC Sports and home to all NBCUniversal digital applications in sports and technology within its three groups: Youth & Recreational Sports, Golf, and Betting & Gaming.
About the Women’s Sports Foundation
The Women’s Sports Foundation exists to enable girls and women to reach their potential in sport and life. We are an ally, an advocate and a catalyst. Founded by Billie Jean King in 1974, we strengthen and expand participation and leadership opportunities through research, advocacy, community programming and a wide variety of collaborative partnerships. From its inception to Title IX’s 50th anniversary in 2022, WSF has invested over $100 million in these impact efforts, helping to shape the lives of millions of youth, high school and collegiate student-athletes, elite athletes and coaches. We’re building a future where every girl and woman can #KeepPlaying and unlock the lifelong benefits of sport participation. All girls. All women. All sports.® To learn more about the Women’s Sports Foundation, please visit www.WomensSportsFoundation.org.
Media Contacts:
Erin O’Grady
NBC Sports
203.524.5403
Erin.Ogrady@nbcuni.com
Kandice Miller
Women’s Sports Foundation
516.307.3932
KMiller@WomensSportsFoundation.org