ESPN is set to broadcast two editions of "SportsCenter" entirely led by women, both on-air and behind the scenes. The first will air on July 27th, with a second following on August 11th. This initiative underscores ESPN's commitment to promoting women's sports and follows a recent multimillion-dollar partnership between Disney Advertising and Ally Financial Inc., focused on boosting coverage of women's athletics.
The broadcasts are part of a broader effort by Disney and Ally to elevate women in sports. Elle Duncan and Nicole Briscoe will anchor the first all-female edition. Ally is the exclusive sponsor for these broadcasts and has committed to equal ad spending on men's and women's sports by 2027.
This move comes at a time of increasing interest in women’s sports, exemplified by the recent NCAA women's basketball tournament, which saw high viewership and lucrative NIL deals for star players like Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese. The tournament also generated significant advertising revenue, demonstrating the growing market potential of women's sports.
As part of the collaboration, Ally and ESPN CreativeWorks have created a series of commercials titled "Flip the Game," featuring ESPN analyst Monica McNutt and WNBA legend Sue Bird, humorously depicting a scenario where men's sports require the same financial boost women's sports have historically needed.
