Rising Tide 🦈 June 10, 2025

🤿 Below the Surface

Here's what's on deck this week:

• Signal Strength: LOVB’s Four Step Strategy to Creating Impactful Brand Partnerships 

• In the Current: Women’s Sports Bar Expansion and Major Softball Milestones

• Blue Zone: Deep Blue Set to Make Waves at Cannes Lions Festival 

• Wave Watch: Which Women’s Sports League is Capturing Your Attention?

⚡️ Signal Strength  

The 4-Step Process: How LOVB Created True Brand Partnerships in Women's Volleyball

In their inaugural season, League One Volleyball (LOVB) has revolutionized the partnership model in women's sports and attracted premium brands like adidas, SPANX, and REVOLVE—many entering sports partnerships for the first time. To deliver success, LOVB has created a blueprint for meaningful collaboration that centers athletes while delivering measurable results.

The challenge was significant: How could a new women's volleyball league attract substantial partnerships without established viewership metrics or even a men's league comparison?

We dived in with Stephanie Martin, LOVB's Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, to break down LOVB’s proven solution — an athlete-centered, co-creation model built on four strategic pillars:

1. Lead with mission alignment
Rather than seeking partners just for revenue, LOVB identified brands genuinely committed to elevating women athletes. "For each partner, it's not like a jersey partnership or a travel-wear partnership," Martin adds. "It's been about how we elevate women—that's been the core."

2. Understand partner goals through collaborative dialogue
Before proposing activations, LOVB takes time to thoroughly understand each partner's business objectives. "We always meet with the partner to understand what their goals are," she says. "What do you want to get out of this partnership? What are the key audiences you're trying to reach? What's important to you this year for your sales goals?"

3. Develop athlete-centered content opportunities
LOVB focuses on storytelling that naturally integrates brands into athletes' authentic narratives. With REVOLVE, they highlighted the "tunnel walk" where athletes showcase personal style. With SPANX, they featured athlete-mothers balancing professional careers with motherhood.

4. Co-create and collaborate on execution
Partners are involved throughout the entire creative process. "We storyboarded with them," Martin explains. "We did the concepting with them, had them review everything. So again, it's a true partnership."

It’s not all talk either. LOVB’s results prove there’s measurable impact from meaningful sports partnerships. According to Martin, LOVB earned exceptional digital engagement (5.9% on Instagram, 10.3% on TikTok), impressive merchandise sales ($1 million in their first year of the LOVB brand), and most importantly, multi-year commitments from 30 partners including ESPN and iHeartRadio.

For brands looking to connect with a fresh audience, LOVB's approach offers a compelling framework for partnership development in a previously untapped, but clearly primed space.

Curious how LOVB developed this groundbreaking partnership model? Don't miss our conversation with LOVB Co-Founder & CEO Katlyn Gao on Courtside with Laura Correnti, for more strategic insights behind their athlete-centered approach to brand collaboration.

📰 In the Current  

We monitor the current so you can ride the wave. Here's what you need to know this week:

• MLB invests eight figures in women's softball, securing ~20% stake in Athletes Unlimited Softball League. Former MLB exec Kim Ng leads the four-team league that will establish home cities by 2026, with ESPN broadcasting 33 games this season.
  

• The Sports Bra, the nation’s first women’s sports bar, expands to four new cities with Boston, Indianapolis, Las Vegas, and St. Louis joining the Portland original. Backed by Alexis Ohanian's 776 Foundation, these locally owned franchises will showcase women-owned food and beverage products.
  

• Women's College World Series hits viewership milestone, attracting 2.2 million viewers for Tennessee's win over UCLA—the highest for any WCWS game since 2015. Overall tournament viewership is up 24% from 2023.

🦈 Blue Zone  

Deep Blue is Set to Make Waves at Cannes with Women's Sports Yacht Club

Deep Blue returns to Cannes to pop-up the Women’s Sports Yacht Club from June 16-18. This three-day activation will bring together industry pioneers, elite athletes, and forward-thinking executives to explore the growing commercial opportunity in women’s sports. 

Guests will experience The Wellness Oasis™ mental health and wellness experiences alongside main stage programming with icons including:

• Track and field Olympic champion Allyson Felix

• WNBA legend and author Candace Parker

• 5x Olympic gold medalist Sue Bird

• USWNT Head Coach Emma Hayes, and more. 

This year’s event is supported by JPMorganChase and partners including Genius Sports, Autodesk, WSL, LOVB, SHE Media, Always Alpha, and Giant Spoon. 

During last year’s Festival, we announced our groundbreaking women’s sports audio partnership with iHeartMedia, which has since quadrupled women’s sports coverage across their networks. 

Join us as we create more waves and new possibilities for women’s sports in 2025!

Register here to save your seat.

👋 Wave Watch