🏟️ 2024's Most Impactful Sports Industry Moments

Recapping the Year in Sports

Author

Jeff Chen
December 28, 2024 • Estimated Reading Time: 8 minutes

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Welcome to the first of three special edition Sports Industry Weekly newsletters, as we recap the year 2024 across the sports industry.

The most impactful industry moments:

As we close out 2024, it’s clear this year has been one of transformation and growth across the sports industry.

From groundbreaking NIL deals to the resurgence of baseball, these moments have shaped how we engage with sports and the stories behind them.

Let’s dive into the highlights that defined this year.

WNBA’S GROWTH:

🏀 The WNBA was ranked as the No. 1 fastest-growing brand in the nation, propelled by the rising star power of athletes like A’ja Wilson, Sabrina Ionescu, and rookies Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese.

This year, WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert announced the addition of the Golden State Valkyries to the league in 2025, with the Toronto Tempo and a Portland expansion team set to follow in 2026.

The league has also established new partnerships, including a Full Charter Program with Delta and collaborations with SKIMS, Dick’s Sporting Goods, and CarMax.

With a significant increase in viewership, these advancements highlight the WNBA's unstoppable momentum.

A NEW STANDARD FOR ATHLETE-CREATOR BRANDS:

🧃 Athletes continued building and launching their own brands in 2024, such as LeBron’s men’s grooming brand, The Shop; Jake Paul’s personal care brand, W; and Lionel Messi’s hydration drink, Mas+.

With LeBron having over 211M followers across social media, Jake Paul amassing more than 70M followers, and Lionel Messi having an impressive 503M followers, this growing trend underscores the immense power and influence that athletes have in today's digital landscape.

These icons are paving the way for the next generation of athletes as both entrepreneurs and creators.

TEAM AVENGERS UNITE IN PARIS:

🇺🇸 Team USA’s basketball dominance took center stage at the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics.

With Stephen Curry, LeBron James and Kevin Durant at the helm, Olympic viewership soared to a daily average of 34.5 million across NBC’s network, a 79% increase from the Tokyo Olympics.

The Gold Medal Game against France captivated over 19.5 million viewers, making it the most-watched since 1996.

As Team USA clinched the gold, the future looks bright with stars like Anthony Edwards and Devin Booker ready to lead the charge.

NFL DOMINATES AMERICAN SPORTS:

🏈 The NFL continued to solidify its position as the powerhouse of American sports fandom.

The league's national revenue soared to $13 billion, while global revenue reached an impressive $20 million.

The NFL also incorporated significant cultural moments and entertainment into their experience with major performances from Usher and BeyoncĂŠ.

On Christmas Day, the NFL dominated the sports landscape, attracting an average of 24.2 million viewers per game, compared to the NBA's 5.2 million viewers per game.

SPORTS MEDIA EXPANSION:

📺 Sports media transformed in 2024 with groundbreaking expansions like Netflix’s entry into live sports and Amazon’s NBA partnership.

Whoopi Goldberg also launched All Women’s Sports Network (AWSN), the first global network dedicated entirely to women’s sports.

These moves signify a shift in how fans will consume sports, bringing more options and media platforms to the sports industry.

THE POPULARITY OF ATHLETE PODCASTS :

🎙️ 2024 was the year of athlete storytelling, with shows like the Kelce Brothers’ New Heights securing a $100 million deal with Amazon’s Wondery.

Travis and Jason Kelce demonstrated to their peers the monetization opportunities in owning your own content and stories.

Shows like Podcast P (hosted by Paul George), Mind The Game (hosted by LeBron James and JJ Redick), and The Pat McAfee Show dominated podcast charts as podcasting provided athletes with another platform to connect with their fans.

MASSIVE INVESTMENTS IN WOMEN’S SPORTS:

💰 Investments in women’s sports soared this year, with record-breaking growth in soccer, softball, volleyball, and basketball.

New leagues like Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL), Unrivaled Basketball, Northern Super League, and League One Volleyball (LOVB) are all set to debut in 2025.

These strides are reshaping the industry, proving women’s sports are a major force in the global sports economy.

MLB’S LANDMARK YEAR:

⚾️ With captivating team storylines and athlete star power, baseball returned to the spotlight in 2024.

An exciting playoffs and World Series captured fans' attention across the world, as the league’s global viewership increased by 18%.

Players like Shohei Ohtani, Bryce Harper, and Aaron Judge helped bring fans to stadiums again as the league saw a total attendance of 71.35 million this season, marking its first consecutive years of attendance growth since 2012.

A NEW ERA OF SPORTS CREATORS:

🤳 The creator economy thrived in 2023, led by figures like Kai Cenat, IShowSpeed, and MrBeast as they brought youthful connectivity to sports culture.

The NBA’s Creator Correspondent Program alone generated over 650 million creator views last season.

These individuals and initiatives showcased how leagues, brands and athletes are collaborating with creators to drive fan engagement and new revenue streams.

THE EVOLUTION OF NIL:

⭐️ 2024 was a historic year for NIL deals, with athletes securing groundbreaking partnerships that redefined the business of high school and college sports.

A massive economic shift is happening right now to support NIL as college athletic departments have added new roles, an influx of new NIL agents and managers has entered the ecosystem, and brands and athletes continue to adapt their collaborations together.

The shifting landscape is even affecting college coaches and university collectives, signaling NIL’s powerful and lasting impact across the sports industry.

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