Mary Jane vs. Sabalenka - Is influencer culture ruining sports?
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Visit watchwomenplay.coThis week we're getting into who live sports is actually built for these days. Plus the WNBA is about to go looking for a new boss, Unrivaled's valuation is up, the NWSL made Sunday nights free, and we're kicking off a new segment for the stories we're watching.
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The tournament's influencer backlash boiled over this week after an umpire reportedly paused a Naomi Osaka serve because spectators were staging a photoshoot nearby. But a sharp piece in SportsVerse argues the influencers are the scapegoat, not the cause.
The real driver is organizers selling access to anyone who pays, turning live sport into a luxury hospitality flex and pricing out everyday fans. Worth a read on where all of this is headed. SportsVerse
Speaking of the Open experience: Aryna Sabalenka briefly stopped her third-round match to flag the strong smell of weed drifting onto her court, telling the umpire "someone is smoking weed." Cannabis is legal in New York and it's become a regular talking point at Flushing Meadows. She won anyway, 6-3, 6-4, and is into the round of 16 without dropping a set, though her No. 1 ranking is now on the line. The Guardian
WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert will retire at the end of the year, closing out seven-plus years leading the league through its biggest growth stretch ever. On her watch the average franchise value jumped from about $10 million in 2019 to roughly $460 million today, and she helped land the new CBA with the league's first million-dollar salaries, a long-term media rights deal, and expansion toward 18 teams.
Her exit also follows a rocky year of officiating complaints, tense CBA talks, and online vitriol aimed at players. The league says it will run a succession process over the next four months, with her departure effective January 1. AP
The 3-on-3 league nearly doubled its valuation in a year, hitting $650 million after a Series C round that blew past its target. Year 2 revenue landed around $45 million, and the player equity pool is now worth close to $200 million, up more than 550% since year one.
Season 3 tips off in January and goes on tour, with four times as many road venues and playoff games in bigger arenas. More than 75% of last season's players are already signed to return. ESPN
The NWSL is bringing eight Sunday Night matches to the Roku Sports Channel for free through the rest of 2026, then expanding to 25 next season. No subscription needed, and it runs on basically every streaming device you already own.
First up under the deal was Seattle Reign vs. Houston Dash on August 30, with Orlando's home match against Houston on September 6 in the package too. NWSL
A new segment for the stories we're watching but that aren't settled yet.
The brand-new Women's Pro Baseball League is dealing with a boardroom dispute. One of its six board members, an investor, has filed a request in Delaware court seeking financial records, pointing to a payment to an entity tied to the CEO and an alleged undisclosed family connection between insiders.
The league says it has cooperated fully and that the other board members stand united against the claims. Nothing has been decided, and these are allegations at this stage, but with the WPBL's inaugural championship set for mid-September, it's one we'll be keeping an eye on. AP
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