Women's sports start-ups, another in-stadium brand activation goes viral
Women's sports start-ups, another in-stadium brand activation goes viral
Today’s lineup:
Women's sports are exponentially growing, and Australian female-centric start-ups are emerging to meet the rising needs and demand
For the 2nd week in a row, an in-stadium brand activation at Adelaide Oval has gone viral after another highly-unlikely challenge was conquered
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Oaks Hotels became the official accommodation partner of the Suncorp Super Netball League and Netball Australia
World Gym extended their partnership with the Brisbane Broncos for 12 months
The Sporting Globe Bar & Grill extended their partnership with Collingwood FC for 2 more years
Vailo extended their partnership with Hawthorn FC following being awarded the lighting contract at the club’s new home base, the Kennedy Community Centre
Boost Mobile became the official telco partner of the Isuzu UTE A-League Men’s and Liberty A-League Women’s Finals Series
Guzman y Gomez became an “official supply partner” of the NSW Swifts and will provide post-game meals at the end of every Suncorp Super Netball game to the players
The AFL announced a partnership with Our Watch - Australia's leader in the primary prevention of violence against women & children, to deliver face-to-face educational training to all AFL clubs
Melbourne FC are supporting Melbourne City Mission’s “Sleep at the G” fundraising event that aims to tackle youth homelessness - donate here
Football Australia partnered with etrainu to develop the Football Australia Learning Centre - a single destination for coaches & referees to manage their qualifications and facilitate online and face-to-face learning
Sweat founder and fitness influencer Kayla Instines (~16m Instagram followers) launched a podcast called “Sweat Daily with Kayla Itsines”
Australia are reportedly the frontrunners to host the Rugby League World Cup in 2026
Tennis Australia’s AO StartUps opened their mid-year intake and are accepting applications from start-ups who would like to pilot their cutting-edge technology at next year’s Australian Open
Melbourne FC & IG Australia launched a 2nd series of “The Melbourne Mindset” - a series that investigates the psychological side of AFL Football
Wearables are booming - Garmin reported a 40% revenue increase to $343 million in its fitness category during Q1 of 2024
Women's sports are exponentially growing, and Australian female-centric start-ups are emerging to meet the rising needs and demand
The growth of women's sport in Australia has been significant and continues to gain momentum across participation, broadcast & media, sponsorship and general professionalisation.
Globally, Deloitte has predicted that women's elite sport will generate $1.94b in revenue in 2024, up 300% from only 3 years ago.
Although things are trending in the right direction, sports apparel, equipment and access has not kept up with the pace of change.
Female participation in sport is low (has been for decades) and female athletes from the grassroots to the elite level have been faced with the scenario of having to use inappropriate apparel and equipment which has put limits on comfort, participation, performance and has contributed to injury.
Women's uniforms have also tended to be tight-fitting, and a national study by Victoria University found that this scenario was turning girls off sport, and that girls drop out of sport because they feel embarrassed about putting their bodies on display.
Sports apparel and equipment has also been traditionally designed for males, and some brands have tried to create a women's offering by simply applying a "shrink it and pink it" approach.
This hasn't worked though because the female anatomy is fundamentally different. Due to a lack of research, development and specially designed sports apparel and equipment, females have also experienced injury e.g. ACL injuries are prevalent in women's sports and there's evidence suggesting that football boots have been contributing to the problem.
Recognising the above, Australian start-ups have emerged to fill the void:
A fast-growing sports apparel brand founded in Melbourne, that's developed a soccer cleat specifically for females.
"High-impact protective inserts for women on the move, on the field, or on the job".
"A Canberra company offering sportswear and sports equipment designed specifically for the female body"
"Female protection for injury prevention for action sport, high-risk frontline personnel, and healthcare"
"Womens shoulder pads designed by women for women"
"Elite quality, female specific goalkeeper gloves down under"
"A platform designed to empower women and girls in sports by connecting them with superior venues and facilities"
"Designers of the most advanced female breast and rib impact protection vest"
Although women are still underrepresented in sports, things are trending upwards and start-ups are playing a vital role in fueling its growth, and vice versa.
Do you know of any other female-centric sports start-ups worth noting? Tell us on LinkedIn in the comments here.
For the 2nd week in a row, an in-stadium brand activation at Adelaide Oval has gone viral after another highly-unlikely challenge was conquered
After kicking a footy into the basketball hoop from long-range in front of 52,106 fans during the recent Port Adelaide vs Adelaide showdown, the fan above won return flights + accommodation to LA, a $1k Crypto Wallet and 2 tickets to an NBA or NHL game.
Similar to MG’s activation during a Port Adelaide FC home game the week prior where LIV Golf's Henrik Stenson hit a "hole in one" to a win a random member a new car, the clip of the above action went viral across social media, and achieved coverage on mainstream media via "The Project" on Channel 10.
Although Crypto.com would’ve faced the fee's involved in delivering the major prize to the fan, the brand reach, amplification of their association with Adelaide FC + AFL, and goodwill they're receiving off the back of this is well worth it.
This activation has again created a win-win-win scenario:
The fan (prize winner)
The team (fan engagement & happy sponsor)
The brand (activation & exposure)
Successfully completed competition-themed activations like this are often few and far between, but some other notable case studies from the past include:
A GWS GIANTS fan won $100k by kicking a ball into a stack of Toyo Tires during a GWS Giants vs Sydney Swans game in 2016
A Wallabies fan won a Land Rover Discovery Sport after successfully kicking a ball into the boot of a car in 2018
Australian Football League - Women and Girls Community Football Lead - Tasmania
Australian Sports Commission - Program Manager
Aware Super - Sponsorship Lead
AusCycling - Head of Events (Mountain Bike and CX)
Bastion - Strategic Partnerships Lead - National Football League (Secondment)
Bursty - Account Director
Callaway Golf - Email Marketing Specialist
ClassPass - Partner Development Spec
Commonwealth Bank - Sponsorship Coordinator
ESPN - Sales Executive
Football Australia - Digital Content Lead - Men's Football and Competitions
Football Australia - General Manager - Procurement & Contract Management
Gemba - Event Manager
ISC - Marketing Executive
Little Athletics NSW - Event Coordinator
LSKD - Community Marketing Manager
Melbourne Storm - Marketing Coordinator
MKTG Sports + Entertainment - Senior Event Manager
Mooney Valley Racing Club - Customer & Partnership Coordinator
Motorsport Australia - Communications Manager
National Basketball League - User Experience Designer
National Rugby League - Grant & Policy Manager
Netball Australia - Events Manager
Penrith Panthers - Foundation & Community Executive
Perth Glory - Events Manager
Red Bull - Sports Event Manager
Seven - Sport Sales Executive
Softball Australia - National Marketing & Growth Manager
Softball NSW - Media and Marketing Content Officer
South Australian Rugby Union - Marketing & Communications Coordinator
Sportsbet - Digital Product Manager
Sports Entertainment Network - Commercial Manager
Stan - Sports Programmer - Olympics
Tabcorp - Sponsorship & Events Executive
Tennis Australia - Communications and Campaign Lead
Tennis Australia - Communications Coordinator
Tennis Australia - Marketing & Inclusion Manager
Western Bulldogs - Business Development Executive
Western Bulldogs - General Manager Community Foundation
Wests Tigers - Head of Consumer
Not yet a subscriber? Discover specialised sports marketing insights, tailored for sports industry professionals within Australia and across the globe. If you work in sports for an agency, brand or rights-holder then this is for you.