Latest news with #womenssports
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
'It's a movement': Silver Lake is home to L.A.'s first women's sports bar
"For once, I want to watch a game at the bar with sound on instead of some random spot in the corner," says Janie Ellingwood. (Alyson Aliano / For The Times) When Janie and Stephanie Ellingwood went to a local brewery one night to watch a U.S. Women's National Team soccer game with some friends, they didn't think it would be a big deal to ask the staff to turn on the sound. The bartenders had always been friendly to the married couple, who frequented the bar at least a few times a week. And they were the only patrons in the small room, situated away from the main viewing area where the volume was on full blast. So they were surprised when the staff curtly shot down their request without any explanation. Opened in early June to coincide with Pride Month, Untamed Spirits is the first women's sports bar in the city of Los Angeles. (Alyson Aliano / For The Times) The Ellingwoods continued watching the nail-biting game with subtitles, but as it got more and more exciting, customers began spilling over to their side of the bar. Before long, the small room was packed. Advertisement "We were all cheering,' says Janie. 'We all gave each other high-fives." The wife-and-wife duo took over another sports bar in Silver Lake and turned it into Untamed Spirits, the first women's sports bar in L.A. (Alyson Aliano / For The Times) Still, the staff refused to turn up the volume. The experience left the Ellingwoods, who are diehard fans of the L.A. Sparks and season-ticket holders for Angel City Football Club, wondering why there weren't any bars in Los Angeles where they could comfortably watch women's sports without feeling ostracized. So they decided to create their own. After months of searching for a location, the wife-and-wife duo took over another sports bar in Silver Lake — formerly known as Trophy Wife — and turned it into Untamed Spirits, the first women's sports bar in the city of L.A. Advertisement Read more: Crowds flock to new Long Beach bar showcasing women's sports Opened in early June to coincide with Pride Month, Untamed Spirits joins a short list of bars in the U.S. dedicated to women's sports, including Portland's Sports Bra, which is expanding to four new cities including Las Vegas and Boston; Rough & Tumble in Seattle; Minnesota's A Bar of Their Own; and Rikki's in San Francisco. Long Beach's Watch Me! Sports Bar, which opened its doors last July, was the first in California. Stephanie, 37, who played professional golf for a few years, felt that L.A. needed something like this. "Something that's a little bit classier, that isn't sticky when you put your arms on the bar," she describes. "For once, I want to watch a game at the bar with sound on instead of some random spot in the corner," Janie, 34, adds. The bar is sleek and modern — a neon pink sign reads "Welcome to the Untamed Era," and whimsical black and white illustrations cover a few of the walls. (Alyson Aliano / For The Times) On a recent Tuesday night, Janie was behind the counter pouring drinks, including their signature Angel City pink punch, for patrons sitting at the bar, which was adorned with rainbow flags and an Angel City Football Club flag. Meanwhile, Stephanie was floating around the space, checking on customers. The couple, who met while playing volleyball together at La Quinta High School, also run a made-to-order croissant bakery based in Orange County and remodel and manage residential properties throughout Southern California. Advertisement The bar is sleek and modern — a neon pink sign reads "Welcome to the Untamed Era," and whimsical black and white illustrations cover a few of the walls. Menstrual products are displayed on the bathroom counter. The spacious patio is filled with plants and a sign that says "Watch Women's Sports Here." (There's a TV in nearly every corner, so there's no bad seat.) Although Untamed Spirits specializes in women's sports of all kinds — even the more niche ones like kayaking, Janie says — the bar also plays men's sports. "Some people might call it a trend, but it's not a trend," Janie says. "I believe it's a movement." (Alyson Aliano / For The Times) Read more: It's like Vegas' Sphere — kinda. 7 things to know about L.A.'s otherworldly new venue Sitting at a table with a date and two friends, Marina Sobreviñas, 31, says she's found that queer bars like Hi Tops in Los Feliz are more likely to play women's sports, but she felt that "it's about time" there is a spot dedicated to them. She recalls her experience trying to watch the FIFA Women's World Cup at a bar. Untamed Spirits offers bar food with an international twist with dishes like kimchi fried rice. (Alyson Aliano / For The Times) Untamed Spirits sells nonalcoholic and alcoholic drinks including margaritas and a signature Angel City pink punch. (Alyson Aliano / For The Times) "There was like, one World Cup TV out of the 10 TVs they had going, and it was sort of fascinating," she says. "Like, 'Am I'm the only one wearing a jersey today? OK, no problem.'" Advertisement Sobreviñas says that women's sports are just as exciting as men's sports. Lisa Marie Ornelas, 30, agrees. "Women [athletes], in a way, have a little bit more to prove," she says. Untamed Spirits arrives in L.A. at a time when interest in women's sports is expanding at a "meteoric pace" across the globe, according to Nielsen. The 2024 NCAA women's basketball tournament averaged nearly 19 million viewers (with a peak of 24 million viewers for the final game between Iowa and South Carolina), an 89% bump from the previous year. The WNBA draft audience jumped 511%, and overall interest in the league grew 29% between 2023 and 2024. The National Women's Soccer League saw a 17% boost in interest between 2023 and 2024. With the heightened interest, ad spending also increased: In 2024, TV advertisers spent $244 million on women's sports, a year-over-year increase of 139%, according to TV marketing firm EDO. Untamed Spirits has indoor seating and a spacious patio where patrons can enjoy sports of all kinds. (Alyson Aliano / For The Times) "Women in general have been playing great sports for a long time," says Stephanie. "I just think the right people who have the ability to put them in the spotlight are finally noticing." Advertisement More women's sports bars are expected to open throughout the country. Jax Diener, who opened Watch Me! Sports Bar in Long Beach with her wife about a year ago, recalls when women's sports weren't aired on TV at all. She went to the first WNBA game at the Forum in 1997. Untamed Spirits recently became an official bar partner of the Angel City Football Club. (Alyson Aliano / For The Times) "We used to come home after those games that were so exciting and turn on the sports that night to see the replays, and they weren't even mentioned," says Diener. "It was as if the league didn't even exist." Diener says she was excited when she heard about another women's sports bar opening in Southern California. "To me, it was really important for them to know that we're in this together," she says, adding that she has a text thread with other women's sports bar owners where they share advice. "This is not a competition. This is women supporting women." Advertisement Untamed Spirits recently became an official bar partner of the Angel City Football Club, which has a majority female-led ownership group that includes Natalie Portman, Abby Wambach and America Ferrera. The Ellingwoods will host their first watch party on Sept. 7 when the ACFC takes on Gotham FC. Janie and Stephanie, who've been at the bar every day since it opened, say they are excited to eventually distill their own spirits, host more events and watch parties in the space and foster community among women's sports lovers. "Some people might call it a trend, but it's not a trend," Janie says. "I believe it's a movement." Janie, left, and Stephanie Ellingwood say they are excited to eventually distill their own spirits, host more events and watch parties in the space and foster community among women's sports lovers. (Alyson Aliano / For The Times) Sign up for The Wild newsletter to get weekly insider tips on the best of our beaches, trails, parks, deserts, forests and mountains. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Reuters
11 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Reuters
Australia's Super Netball goes global in deal with Whoopi Goldberg's AWSN
SYDNEY, June 20 (Reuters) - Australia's Super Netball league will be broadcast to more than 65 countries over the next three years after Netball Australia struck a deal with Whoopi Goldberg's All Women's Sports Network (AWSN), the governing body said on Friday. Netball, one of a few sports created exclusively for women and girls, is the most popular participation sport for females in Australia with Netball Australia estimating there are up to a million players across the country. The professional Super Netball league, which was launched in 2017, has eight teams and 41 of its games, including the playoffs and finals, will now be broadcast on AWSN. "This breakthrough deal puts netball on screens across the globe and cements our place at the forefront of women's sport," Netball Australia chief executive Stacey West said in a statement. "AWSN shares our vision of taking women's sport to new heights. Together, we're creating a platform for our athletes and game to shine like never before." Co-founded by Oscar-winning actor and comedian Goldberg, AWSN was launched late last year as the first global media channel dedicated exclusively to showcasing women's sports. "I am so proud to be thanking you for joining us on AWSN," Goldberg said in a video message to Super Netball released by Netball Australia. "I see that your fans are really loving you, so we want to make sure that we put you everywhere in the world so that everybody knows about you."
CNA
11 hours ago
- Sport
- CNA
Australia's Super Netball goes global in deal with Whoopi Goldberg's AWSN
SYDNEY :Australia's Super Netball league will be broadcast to more than 65 countries over the next three years after Netball Australia struck a deal with Whoopi Goldberg's All Women's Sports Network (AWSN), the governing body said on Friday. Netball, one of a few sports created exclusively for women and girls, is the most popular participation sport for females in Australia with Netball Australia estimating there are up to a million players across the country. The professional Super Netball league, which was launched in 2017, has eight teams and 41 of its games, including the playoffs and finals, will now be broadcast on AWSN. "This breakthrough deal puts netball on screens across the globe and cements our place at the forefront of women's sport," Netball Australia chief executive Stacey West said in a statement. "AWSN shares our vision of taking women's sport to new heights. Together, we're creating a platform for our athletes and game to shine like never before." Co-founded by Oscar-winning actor and comedian Goldberg, AWSN was launched late last year as the first global media channel dedicated exclusively to showcasing women's sports. "I am so proud to be thanking you for joining us on AWSN," Goldberg said in a video message to Super Netball released by Netball Australia.
Yahoo
13 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Sister act: Whoopi Goldberg gives Super Netball a boost with global broadcast deal
Whoopi Goldberg's newly founded All Women's Sports Network will show Super Netball matches through to 2027. Whoopi Goldberg's newly founded All Women's Sports Network will show Super Netball matches through to 2027. Photograph:for Tribeca Festival Hollywood icon Whoopi Goldberg is taking Australian netball to the world with her new global sport television network dedicated exclusively to women's sport. Netball Australia and the All Women's Sport Network (AWSN) announced on Monday a multi-year broadcast deal to show Super Netball matches to more than 65 new countries. Advertisement Related: Record crowds drive strong finances with Netball Australia on road to being debt free Goldberg said she was 'so proud' to see the Super Netball competition join AWSN. 'I think y'all are terrific,' she said in an Instagram video. 'I just watched you play and I see that your fans are really loving you, so we want to make sure that we put you everywhere in the world so that everybody knows about you.' Goldberg and AWSN co-founder George Chung launched the network at the end of 2024, with Goldberg saying her motivation for the project was sparked by seeing women's sport not receive the same coverage as their male counterparts. Advertisement 'I knew that if I couldn't find these sports and watch the amazing female athletes playing them, others weren't finding them either,' she told Forbes at the time. 'I really hope shining a light on women's sports will help elevate female athletes around the world.' Netball Australia's chief executive, Stacey West, acknowledged the opportunities the new partnership would bring the league and netball more broadly. 'This breakthrough deal puts netball on screens across the globe and cements our place at the forefront of women's sport,' West said. 'AWSN shares our vision of taking women's sport to new heights. Together, we're creating a platform for our athletes and game to shine like never before.' The response to the announcement was swift and positive, with former Diamond and AFLW player Sharni Layton commenting on Goldberg's video saying: 'This is next level. Netball is going [up].' Advertisement Netball Australia chair and former Diamond Liz Ellis shared the video, adding that Super Netball was 'going places'. The partnership is inked through to 2027 and will result in 41 Super Netball matches being broadcast to the network's 900m-strong global audience. Other leagues featured on the network includes Australia's WNBL, as well as the WTA, Uefa Women's Nations League, Sweden's Damallsvenskan, European cricket, roller derby and softball. The WNBL joined the AWSN in November 2024, with then league boss, Christy Collier-Hill, saying: 'Reaching fans globally and showcasing our incredible athletes, clubs, and competition is a major milestone for the league.' It's a much needed win for Super Netball and Netball Australia, which have faced extensive off-court dramas in recent years, and will help to solidify the revival the sport is undergoing in Australia. The partnership also points to the continued growth of women's sport, and the business opportunities it offers.
Fox News
2 days ago
- Sport
- Fox News
Sparks face backlash after social media users accuse WNBA team of posting ‘thirst traps'
The Los Angeles Sparks came under fire on social media this week for a post that some users claimed sexualized one of the team's players. The Sparks' X page shared a post Tuesday afternoon teasing the team's game against the Seattle Storm later that evening. The post shared a graphic of rookie guard Sarah Ashlee Barker wearing what appeared to be a crop top. "Back in front of the home crowd," the post said, adding game details. Fans seemed unimpressed with the decision to post Barker dressed in that way. "Where's the jersey's man," one user wrote. "These gameday posts frying me. No unis or nothing, just thirst traps," another added. Another user wrote, in part, "What kind of chance does women's sports have if this is OFFICIAL team communication??? Are they playing in lingerie? Then put them in the fkn jerseys on gameday." The Sparks have previously shared game day posts of players wearing their uniforms. Just last week, Sparks forward Cameron Brink faced similar criticism from a fan online, accusing the former first-round pick of putting more time into "walking down red carpets and schmoozing" than rehabbing her ACL injury. "She should've been back on the court now, and something tells me that if she put as much work into rehab as she puts into walking down red carpets and schmoozing, she'd be back by now," the fan wrote in a comment that Brink posted on her Instagram stories last week. "I'm working INCREDIBLY hard every day. I would give anything to be out on the court right now. Basketball is my passion and everything to me… to say this you aren't a real fan. "Thank you to those who understand ACLs can take a year & giving me grace. I cannot wait until I get to play again." Brink, 23, has been sidelined since she tore the ACL in her left knee during a June 2024 game against the Connecticut Sun. She was averaging 8.1 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.5 blocks a game before the injury. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
