Good morning, Broadsheet readers! Michelle Obama launches a new food and beverage brand, Kamala Harris sits down with A.I. leaders, and Fortune leadership fellow Paolo Confino interviews NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman on the league's growth prospects. Have a relaxing weekend.
- 'Long-term greedy.' Many people are passionate about women’s sports. And passion is great, says National Women’s Soccer League commissioner Jessica Berman—but it’s not enough.
The commissioner is on a mission to convince the right investors to back the league, for the right reasons. Berman, a former deputy commissioner of the National Lacrosse League, who became NWSL commissioner in April of last year, says the league's principal objective is to find the right commercial partners—which she defines as sponsors, investors, and broadcasters—to "transcend the mainstream" and become an everyday staple in American sports fans' lives. In 2022, the NWSL saw a reported 87% increase in sponsorship revenues and, according to one executive, a 25% increase in season ticket holders. The league currently has 12 teams, up from 10 in 2021, with plans to add two more in 2024. “Do you think of women's soccer and women's sport as a business or are you here because you have a daughter or granddaughter?” Berman says. “Because [the latter is] not going to be enough to drive the future of this business.”
