Explore every episode of the podcast Courtside with Laura Correnti
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Introducing: Courtside with Laura Correnti | 21 Mar 2025 | 00:00:57 | |
Women’s sports aren’t just having a moment—they’re building a movement. Courtside is the podcast where sports, business, and investment collide to uncover insights and ideas shaping the future of this billion-dollar industry. Hosted by Laura Correnti—founder and CEO of Deep Blue Sports + Entertainment, and a leading driver in commercial growth in women’s sports—this show goes beyond the scores to highlight the power players, game-changing deals, and the trends redefining the landscape. From league commissioners to top athletes, investors, and team owners, we’re breaking down sponsorship strategies, media rights, and the big bets fueling the industry’s growth. If you’re an industry leader, investor, athlete, or just a fan who wants to see women’s sports thrive—grab your seat and join us Courtside.
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| We Want the Whole Market: Women’s Sports Investment with Ilana Kloss | 02 Apr 2025 | 00:48:14 | |
Ilana Kloss, CEO of Billie Jean King Enterprises, has spent decades making sure women’s sports isn’t treated as charity—it’s an investment. She joins Courtside to break down the business case for equity, why sustained investment is key, and how brands are finally waking up to the value of women’s sports.
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| Relentless: Kate Johnson on Google’s Women’s Sports Playbook | 09 Apr 2025 | 00:32:47 | |
What does it take to grow women’s sports into a billion-dollar plus business? Kate Johnson, Global Marketer at Google and Olympic Medalist, explains how she’s leveraging everything from technology to media accountability to build the industry from the inside out. She shares Google’s investment strategy, approach to supporting creators, and how she’s building the infrastructure women’s sports needs to scale.
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| Building Community is the Business Plan with Jenny Nguyen | 16 Apr 2025 | 00:40:11 | |
The Sports Bra–a bar in Portland dedicated exclusively to women’s sports, and the first of its kind in the world–was never just about sports. In this episode, founder Jenny Nguyen shares the origin story of “the Bra” including building a business rooted in community, the fanbase beyond sports lovers, and why giving people a space to feel seen is part of her ultimate strategy for growth. 00:53 Meet Jenny Nguyen: Founder of The Sports Bra 03:01 Jenny's Journey: From Basketball Dreams to Culinary Passion 06:25 Discovering a New Path: From Pre-Med to Chef 14:12 Opening The Sports Bra 21:13 Impact of Creating a Unique Space 24:07 Expansion and Franchising Decisions 32:03 Dreams and Future Plans 35:44 Inspiring a New Market
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| Meg Linehan Carved the Space for Women’s Sports Reporting | 23 Apr 2025 | 00:37:03 | |
Meg Linehan didn’t follow a path into women’s sports journalism—she carved it. Now Senior Writer at The Athletic, she joins Courtside to talk about breaking in before there was even a beat, the evolution of media access, and where today's brands and storytellers have an opportunity to grow. From locker rooms to leadership, this one’s a blueprint.
00:00 Meet Meg Linehan 03:07 Freelancing and the Path to The Athletic 10:05 The Future of Women's Sports Reporting 13:48 Bridging the Generational Gap in Women's Sports 19:51 Media Training and Resource Allocation 24:42 The Next Generation of Soccer Talent 26:07 Globalization and Competition in Women's Soccer 28:54 Balancing Brand and Reporting 30:57 Future of Women's Sports Coverage 33:01 Advertising and Authentic Partnerships 37:37 Predictions and Final Thoughts See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. | |||
| Building the New Business Model for UK Women's Football with Zarah Al-Kudcy | 07 May 2025 | 00:37:51 | |
How do you build a world-class women's football league on one of the sports' biggest stages? Zarah Al-Kudcy, Chief Revenue Officer at the Women's Professional League Limited (the organization behind England’s top women’s football leagues), joins Courtside to discuss how the WPLL is redefining how to build and expand the commercial opportunities for some of the most storied teams in football history. She and Laura dive into the WPLL’s goals, the power of historic club brands like Arsenal and Chelsea, growing a global fanbase, and why creating a distinctive identity for women’s football—not just mirroring the men’s game—is key to partnership development and long-term success.
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| "It's Pronounced LOVE”: Katlyn Gao on Building LOVB and Legacy | 14 May 2025 | 00:39:08 | |
There was no home for pro volleyball in the U.S.—so Katlyn Gao built one from the ground up: LOVB (A.K.A. League One Volleyball). She joins Laura to share how a personal mission became a national movement, why conviction matters more than consensus (or even fundraising), and what it takes to build something that lasts—and reshapes the future—in the world of women’s sports.
00:35 Meet Katlyn Gao: Visionary Behind League One Volleyball 01:25 Building a Pro League: Challenges and Strategies 02:58 The Youth Pipeline: Foundation of the League 05:54 Commercialization and Brand Building 13:54 Creating Cultural Relevance and Fan Engagement 23:02 Personal Stories and Motivations 27:00 Season One Highlights and Future Plans See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. | |||
| The Bubble Isn't Bursting: David Levy on the Business Boom in Women’s Sports | 22 May 2025 | 00:36:33 | |
As Co-CEO of Horizon Sports & Experiences, David Levy is helping usher in the next era of sports media—just like he did at Turner. He joins Laura to talk about why sports still command top dollar in a fragmented media landscape, Unrivaled's innovative approach to sponsorship, and where he sees opportunity in the rapidly growing women's sports business.
00:39 Meet David Levy: Co-Founder of Horizon Sports and Experiences 02:18 The Evolution of Sports Media 06:39 The Business Case for Women's Sports 10:10 Challenges and Opportunities in Sports Broadcasting 20:01 The Rise of Unrivaled: A New Era in Women's Sports 20:37 Innovative Sponsorship Strategies 26:30 Expanding the League: Future Plans 33:57 The Business of Women's Sports: Insights and Predictions See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. | |||
| No Stone Unturned: Niamh Charles on Dominance, Discipline, and the Drive to Succeed | 11 Jun 2025 | 00:26:38 | |
Chelsea and England footballer Niamh Charles is fresh off an undefeated season—and gearing up for another shot at international glory at the Euros. She joins Laura to talk about what it really takes to stay on top: relentless prep, mental fitness, and those 1% performance gains that separate the good from the great. They get into the rise of women’s football, the electricity of the World Cup, and why Charles is building her brand around high performance (and really good coffee). From the Chelsea locker room to Wembley to wherever she's journaling with an oat flat white, Charles shares what it looks like when nothing is left to chance. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. | |||
| Courtside Goes Slopeside: Inside U.S. Ski & Snowboard with Sophie Goldschmidt | 04 Jun 2025 | 00:39:51 | |
Sophie Goldschmidt didn’t grow up in snow sports—but now she’s leading them into a new era. As CEO of U.S. Ski & Snowboard, she’s shaking up a traditionally insular space with entrepreneurial thinking, global strategy, and a clear mission: to turn Olympic-level athletes into household names. She talks to Laura about breaking through the four-year awareness cycle, creating premium brand partnerships, and how a chairlift ride might just be the best meeting in marketing.
02:28 Sophie's Journey in Sports 04:14 Leading US Ski and Snowboard 14:47 Expanding into Travel and Hospitality 23:48 Creative Content and Athlete Inspiration 26:43 Strategic Partnerships and Brand Collaborations 31:48 Challenges and Resilience of Athletes 34:38 Global Audience and Fan Engagement 37:55 Sponsorship and Financial Support See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. | |||
| Building the Opportunity League: Donna Orender on The Upshot | 28 May 2025 | 00:38:31 | |
Former WNBA President and Upshot League founder Donna Orender joins Laura to talk about why she’s launching a new pro league—and why the moment demands it. She shares lessons from her time leading the W, the structural gaps she’s aiming to fill, and what it takes to create community-rooted franchises that are more than just teams—they’re assets.
00:29 Meet Donna Orender 02:05 Donna's Early Love for Basketball 06:51 Building Belief and Overcoming Obstacles 10:40 The Hardest Job: Transforming the WNBA 17:00 Reflecting on Success and Future Endeavors 21:29 Introducing the Upshot League 24:18 Opportunities for Athletes and Coaches 27:45 Fundraising and Selling the Vision 34:45 Naming the Upshot League See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. | |||
| The 50/50 Pledge: How Ally’s Andrea Brimmer Turned a Marketing Budget Into a Movement | 30 Jul 2025 | 00:33:34 | |
When Andrea Brimmer announced Ally’s 50/50 pledge at the 2022 ESPNW Summit, it wasn’t a tribute ad or a token donation—it was a demand for equity, backed by dollars. As CMO of Ally (and a former collegiate midfielder), Andrea joins Laura to unpack how they turned a bold idea into a blueprint for the industry. They talk through how she restructured the budget, challenged media systems, and proved that betting big on women’s sports isn’t just good PR—it’s smart business. Plus, why Andrea shows up “like a girl” in every room she enters, and what it means to leave the game better than you found it.
00:51 Meet Andrea Brimmer: Athlete to Marketing Pioneer See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. | |||
| Courtside Away Game: Laura Correnti on Michael Kassan's Good Company | 16 Jul 2025 | 00:46:33 | |
Speaking with Michael Kassan on his show Good Company, Laura Correnti explains why she isn't waiting for permission; she’s building the new power structure in women’s sports from the ground up. In this episode, she joins Michael to unpack how she's turning under-leveraged markets into power plays, architecting culture-shifting brand deals, and proving that when you own the game, you don’t have to play by the old rules. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. | |||
| Sustain & Gain Mode: Inside the WNBA’s Playbook with Colie Edison | 09 Jul 2025 | 00:39:21 | |
2024 was a record-breaking season for the WNBA—and Colie Edison is making sure it’s just the start. As Chief Growth Officer, she’s behind the league’s 19% spike in sponsorships, its mission to build long-term brand equity, and the 13x business return league partners are experiencing. She joins Laura to break down what’s fueling and how to sustain that growth, how the league is approaching an expanding fanbase, and why building the W means meeting the moment while thinking seasons ahead through data and beyond. 00:52 Coley Edison's Impact on WNBA Growth See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. | |||
| Courtside 1 on 1: #1 NY Sirens Draft Pick Kristýna Kaltounková | 02 Jul 2025 | 00:20:51 | |
Kristýna “Kalty” Kaltounková is the 2025 PWHL #1 draft pick—and she’s headed to the New York Sirens. The Czech standout lit up the NCAA with a record-breaking career st Colgate, but her story starts much earlier: skating at age three to keep up with her older brother. Kalty joins Laura to talk about her journey from youth hockey to a new era in pro women’s sports, how she plays on the edge, and why she’s ready to bring her grit—and insane shot—to the biggest sports market in the world. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. | |||
| Courtside Away Game: Laura Correnti on The Deal with Alex Rodriguez and Jason Kelly | 28 Aug 2025 | 00:46:26 | |
When Laura founded Deep Blue Sports + Entertainment, the first firm dedicated to commercial investment and growth opportunities in women's sports, she changed the game. She dives into how she did it: explaining inspiration she drew from the U.S. Women's National Soccer Team, why she’s torn up her five-year plan so many times amidst the growth of women’s sports, and what needs to be done to create more “multi-hyphenates” amongst female athletes. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. | |||
| Future Proofing Sports: Inside Overtime’s Disruptive Model with EJ Lawrence | 20 Aug 2025 | 00:38:00 | |
What happens when you design a sports league for the next digitally-led generation instead of adapting for an old one? You get Overtime—a media and sports company rewriting the rules. EJ Lawrence, Head of League Partnership Development, joins Laura to unpack the strategy behind its four leagues (including Overtime Select, its women’s basketball property), the content engine driving a tidal wave of content every week and the sponsorship model built for storytelling. They get into what Gen Z wants from sports, how Overtime is closing coverage and funding gaps, and why building a fan community (150MM+!!) means listening as much as talking.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. | |||
| Good Game: Sarah Spain is Shaping the Sports Media Playbook | 13 Aug 2025 | 00:33:57 | |
Sarah Spain has spent nearly two decades shaping the way we talk about sports—from breaking down barriers in early sports radio to co-creating ESPN’s first all-women podcast. Now she’s back with Good Game—a first-of-its-kind, daily podcast spotlighting the stories, stats, and stars driving the explosive growth in the popularity of women’s sports. Sarah joins Laura to talk about her journey to airtime and why telling better stories isn’t just good journalism—it’s part of the game plan for growth.
00:00 Introduction and Early Aspirations See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. | |||
| Courtside Away Game: Laura Correnti on Inside the Ice House with NYSE | 06 Aug 2025 | 00:27:16 | |
When the U.S. Women’s National Team won the 2019 Women's World Cup, a stadium full of fans chanted “equal pay” instead of “USA”—and Laura Correnti took note. She tells Inside the Ice House how that moment inspired the journey to founding Deep Blue Sports + Entertainment, what brands need to know about strategic investment, and why the growth curve is just getting started.
00:44 The Rise of Women's Sports See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. | |||
| The Playbook for Multi-Hyphenate Marketing: Constance Schwartz-Morini on Athlete-Led Brands | 11 Sep 2025 | 00:28:29 | |
Constance Schwartz-Morini, CEO of SMAC Entertainment, has turned sports talent across sports into household names along with her partner and client Michael Strahan. She shares how she helped Strahan become a media mogul, why Deion Sanders is the ultimate CMO, and how she’s shaping the future in women’s sports with clients including Emma Hayes, Brie and Nikki Garcia, and Erin Andrews. They dig into what it takes to build athlete-led content, how to expand careers beyond the game, and why the women’s side of sports is ready for a bigger stage.
00:31 Introduction See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. | |||
| Courtside Away Game: Laura Correnti on Possible Now with Christian Muche | 20 Nov 2025 | 00:38:58 | |
Laura joins the Possible NOW Podcast with Christian Muche to discuss why women’s sports isn’t charity—it’s business. Drawing on her career identifying white space and turning it into opportunity, Laura unpacks the myths keeping advertisers on the sidelines, how athletes are redefining ownership through their own media platforms, and why the next billion-dollar growth story in sports will be led by women.
02:08 Laura's Early Love for Sports See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. | |||
| Karina LeBlanc on Making Portland the Epicenter of Women’s Sports | 13 Nov 2025 | 00:50:22 | |
For nearly 20 years, Karina LeBlanc was known for defending Canada’s net. Now she’s defending the future of women’s sports as EVP of Strategic Growth at RAJ Sports, where she’s helping lead both the Portland Thorns and the new WNBA expansion team, the Portland Fire—which also happens to be Portlands original WNBA team. She joins Laura to talk about playing the long game—creating generational impact, measuring success beyond wins, and why Portland might just be the global epicenter of women’s sports.
03:15 The Impact of Sports on Personal Growth See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. | |||
| Courtside Away Game: Laura Correnti on Nice Talk with Marie Claire's Nikki Ogunnaike | 06 Nov 2025 | 00:37:13 | |
Joining Editor in Chief of Marie Claire Nikki Ogunnaike, Laura traces her journey from college athlete to successful partner at Giant Spoon, and how she founded Deep Blue to drive commercial investment in women’s sports. They explore the critical role sports play in achieving career leadership, the impactful intersection of advertising with women's sports, and the innovative strides being made to elevate women's sports through creative investments and new business models. 01:55 Laura's Journey: From Soccer to Advertising See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. | |||
| Mike Nichols of Gainbridge on Playing the Long Game in Women's Sports | 30 Oct 2025 | 00:27:07 | |
Mike Nichols has spent nearly two decades proving women’s sports are undervalued—and he’s putting his investments where the returns are. The former LPGA exec turned Chief of Sponsorship Strategy at Group 1001 joins Laura to talk about Gainbridge’s partnerships with the USL Super League, Caitlin Clark, and more. They get into why 40% of his sponsorship dollars go to women’s sports, how $5,000 grants can create outsized impact, and where the opportunity lies for brands willing to get in from grassroots to the ground floor. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. | |||
| Broom & Shovel Leadership: Cori Close on Building an Uncommon Program | 18 Sep 2025 | 00:33:03 | |
UCLA WBB head coach Cori Close joins Laura to talk about a culture that outlasts banners and awards—sweeping the sheds, nurturing the roots, and why “coaching people’s hearts” is her real playbook. She opens up about the Final Four learning curve, the NIL and transfer-era noise, and what infrastructure college programs actually need so coaches can coach. Plus: the service work that connects teams—and how gratitude, discipline, and “uncommon” choices turn talent into titles.
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| Game Tape: A Courtside Review of Athlete Health | 28 May 2026 | 00:29:09 | |
We take a look back at a huge through line of the Courtside show: how important it is to pay attention to how we're developing health infrastructure around all athletes. You can make the business case for it; the human case is obvious. With the influx of attention, money, and partners pouring into women's sports, we highlight the people who know what to do with it. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. | |||
| Yael Averbach West on Building a Dynasty at Gotham FC | 15 May 2026 | 00:42:00 | |
Yael Averbach West grew up the lone girl on a boys' soccer team in Montclair, New Jersey, went on to wear the UNC kit and earn USWNT caps, and now runs one of the NWSL's most decorated clubs as two-time champion GM of NJ/NY Gotham FC. She joins Laura for a Jersey-girl conversation about the grit it took to get here — and the vision it takes to stay on top. They dig into how the women's professional game has transformed from survival mode to sold-out stadiums, why winning isn't enough if no one knows your players exist, what Gotham actually needs from commercial partners, and what it means to build a club culture that reflects the community that raised you.
00:00 Welcome Back to Courtside 01:00 Growing Up Soccer in Jersey: The Boys Team Decision 04:45 UNC and Finding Her People 07:30 From the WPS to the NWSL: Surviving to Thriving 11:00 What's Actually Changed for Players (and What Hasn't) 15:30 Building the Gotham Standard: Infrastructure, Facilities, and Player Care 21:00 ACL Injuries, Data, and Making Insights Actionable 23:30 Connecting the On-Field Product to Commercial Growth 28:30 How the GM Role Has Evolved 31:00 What Gotham Actually Needs from Partners 33:00 The Season Ahead and Citi Field Announcement See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. | |||