
As sports agents, marketing directors, journalists and athletes, women take the field.
What’s happening? Nielsen’s report on 10 sports industry trends for 2017 notes that athletes are finding new avenues to represent themselves through alternative media sources, so huddle up. Sports and entertainment industries are integrating and that means live music and additional festivities draw crowds. Case in point: the NFL is teaming up with Cirque de Soleil to plan a showcase in Times Square.
Why should you care? We are starting to see more entertainment companies working with sports teams and players. Women are taking up leadership positions in this new and integrated arena.
Who’s leading? Jaymee Messler is President and co-founder of The Players’ Tribune, an alternative news source where athletes can tell their stories in their own way. Messler has brought in more than 500 athletes to share their stories since the media company’s inception in 2014. Sheila Johnson is another major player, as co-founder of entertainment network BET and the first African American woman to own or partner with three sports franchises. Johnson has a net worth of $4B, one of the richest women entrepreneurs in America, and she never had formal business training. She told the Tampa Bay Business Journal that part of her success came from actively testing out new ideas before every major decision.
What can you do? If you want to build a company, you need a solid team on your side. Johnson faced hurdles while hiring: “There are a lot of people out there that are frauds. There are a lot of people out there that are talented, but still can’t make things work. There are a lot of people that come to you with their own agenda, they can’t share your vision…so what I have learned is I’ve got to be extra careful with who I bring into my space.” Read this article on how to hire your super squad, no matter what industry you’re in.