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Inside the Rise of Women’s Sports with Queens of the Court: A WNBA Podcast’s Jordan Robinson

By Audacy Insights Team

Welcome to an exhilarating journey into the world of WNBA greats and Olympics golds! One of the most exciting trends lighting up the sports, digital media, and advertising arenas is the unstoppable rise of women’s sports. 

So what’s the secret sauce that’s got marketers buzzing about women’s sports? It’s the super-engaged fans. A recent Nielsen study on WNBA fan habits shows these fans are a dream for brands. They’re 1.8 times more likely to engage with a brand online, 18% more likely to chat about it with friends and family, and 1 in 3 actually make a purchase. Talk about invested! 

During ANA’s Digital and Social Media Conference in Los Angeles, Audacy’s own Director of Sports Strategy, Katie Stone caught up with Jordan Robinson, sports journalist, announcer, and co-host of the Queens of the Court podcast. They covered everything from the explosion of great content dedicated to female athletes, their stories, and their games; the growth of advertiser interest in women’s sports; and the power of podcasting to play a leading role in connecting brands to dedicated fans. An edited transcript follows:

Katie Stone  |  Q: What do you think is driving this phenomenon in women’s sports and why do you feel as though the moment is different now? 

Jordan Robinson  |  A: For all of us who’ve been in it from the beginning, I think about that little girl fan in me and that is driving my coverage [of women’s sports] a lot. And when I see this growth, it’s a little bit of ‘I told you so’ because the product has always been great. Now the media and the viewership is keeping up with that. And with the names like Caitlin Clarke, Angel Reese, JuJu Watkins – that whole movement from women’s NCAA basketball—it’s been this reminder that ‘Oh yeah, I have a WNBA team in my neighborhood; let me go to a game and live it and see it first hand.’ I’m so happy for all this momentum and this moment right now because it is long overdue. 

Katie Stone  |  Q: What is it like to co-host with Sheryl Swoopes—4-time WNBA champion, 3-time gold medalist, basketball hall-of-famer.

Jordan Robinson  |  A: It’s a little bit of a pinch me moment every single week that I get to talk hoops with a hall-of-famer. This came up through Audacy. They reached out to my team and I was like ‘yes’; don’t even finish the email – yes! Absolutely! We were going through some co-host options, and I had talked to Sheryl a few months prior for a separate story that I did for ‘Just Women’s Sports’. It was refreshing because it was just a chat and a conversation and I think that’s what podcasts should feel like. It should feel like you’re a fly on the wall or you’re a part of a group chat. And that’s what we get to do, but we get to talk about it also with high-level basketball analysis. Because you have someone like Sheryl who is one of the best to ever play the game, giving her knowledge and insight. And her voice is so needed. 

Katie Stone  |  Q: AT&T has come back on board for Season 2 as Presenting Sponsor of the Queens of the Court podcast, inclusive of host reads, in-content ‘Giving Flowers’ segments and All Star bonus episodes. What is your favorite activation with sponsors of your podcast?

Jordan Robinson  |  A: With our weekly ‘Giving Flowers’ segment, I love that it was something that we were already doing as a part of the show. We love giving flowers, showing our appreciation to different players. So this wasn’t something we had to rebrand or re-do. It was something that was already a part of the show and true to us. 

And with host reads, I love them because I love to put my own flavor, my own voice and be genuine. And I think the WNBA community really appreciates that. They can tell when we are being genuine. And when we start our shows we start with what shows we’re watching and what movies we’re watching. So we give a lot of those recommendations as well. And then we get DMs saying ‘we’re watching the show now’. So that could be your brand; that could be your product, because we give those genuine reactions and I feel like people can feel that, especially in the WNBA community. 

Katie Stone  |  Q: For WNBA fans, what do you think it does for them being able to find a home in your podcast, and providing a place for commentary and community?

Jordan Robinson  |  A:  That’s my favorite part. As a storyteller, any type of medium that I can shout these women’s basketball players’ stories, I’m going to do it. And I feel like with podcasting specifically, I don’t take for granted how intimate it is. I’m in their ears when they’re in the car, or when they’re walking their dog. And these are moments that they feel like we share together. I don’t know how many times people come up to me and say, ‘I feel like I know you because I listen to you all the time’. And so podcasting has that feel.

With the WNBA community it’s kind of all on Twitter [X]. That’s kind of the only place that we really have. So many times the games come on and then there’s no post-game; there’s no position or conversation after the games. And this is what we’re trying to do. On a weekly basis, to have a recap, those themes, those headlines. And a podcast is the perfect place to do that. 

Katie Stone  |  Q: We know advertisers see the best impact when they embrace the new face of fandom, partner with authentic hosts, and seize the opportunities now building scale in women’s sports media. With your podcast, what have you found works for brands that you partner with?

Jordan Robinson  |  A: I love those host reads and love the genuine part of it. But also it’s about bringing brands into the story. The story of the WNBA is still very much developing. Even with the moment we’re having right now, it didn’t just start right now. There are so many legends that have helped push it over this threshold and I’m so happy to be a part of that. And we definitely want to bring that as part of our show. That is the full story of women’s sports. And we try to give those flowers and we try to do that as part of our show. Having brands be incorporated and a part of that story is really really important to us.  

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SOURCES

Nielsen Fan Insights, 2024

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