The Business of Women's Sports: Cultivating Younger Fans

Wednesday, May 6 | 12:30 PM ET

The Business of Women's Sports

Cultivating Younger Fans

Women’s sports are increasingly resonating with younger audiences, from fans engaging through social platforms to first‑time fans arriving in record numbers for live events. At the same time, capturing — and retaining — those fans requires new approaches to content, community, and commercial strategy. This SBJ Live episode will examine how leagues, teams, media partners, and brands are rethinking fan development to build durable relationships with the next generation of women’s sports fans.

What We Will Discuss:

• How younger audiences are finding women’s sports across social, streaming, and short‑form platforms
• The role of athletes, creators, and direct‑to‑fan storytelling in shaping fandom
• Live experience strategies that convert casual interest into repeat attendance
• What younger fan behaviors mean for sponsorship, merchandise, and long‑term monetization

Who Should Attend:

• Women’s sports team and league executives
• Media, content, and distribution leaders
• Brand, marketing, and sponsorship professionals
• Agencies and strategists focused on women’s sports

Featured Speakers (Additional to be Announced)

Jes Wolfe is the CEO and Chairwoman of Rebel Girls, and Co-founder, Chairwoman & Owner of LOVB San Francisco, the pro women’s indoor volleyball team coming to the Bay Area in January 2027.

Rebel Girls is a certified B Corporation and global empowerment brand dedicated to helping raise the most inspired and confident generation of girls. The multi-channel media brand has reached more than 48 million girls through content, experiences, products, and events. She launched Rebel Girls Sport in 2025 to celebrate women and girl athletes, spark lifelong fandom, and encourage girls to play and stay in sports.

The mission of League One Volleyball (LOVB) is to create better life outcomes for women through the sport of volleyball. The only league in the country with a youth-to-pro ecosystem, LOVB is the largest brand in youth volleyball and launched its pro league in January 2025, featuring some of the best players in the world.

Jes is an active angel investor and advisor to a number of startups - all of which include women on the founding team. She holds an MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business and a BA from University of California, Berkeley. She has appeared on MSNBC, Bloomberg and other media programs as well as engagements including Female Factor’s Global Leaders Summit, and YPO’s Global Business Summit amongst others. She is an avid skier, surfer, and passionate women’s sports fan.

Registration is free. All registrants will receive a recording of the webinar following the event.

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