Episode 27: How to Build a Women’s Sports Fanbase (The Right Way)

Want to grow a women’s sports team the right way? This episode gives you the blueprint.

With expansion on the horizon for leagues like the WNBA, NWSL, and PWHL, the real challenge isn’t just where the next team lands — it’s how to build a fanbase that actually sticks. In this episode of Heart of a Fan, Matthew Barry sits down with Lauren Teague, Dr. Ceyda Mumcu, Jennifer Garrett, and Shea Dawson for a crash course on how to grow women’s sports fandom with authenticity, consistency, and community.

From debunking outdated marketing tactics like “Pink it and Shrink it” to exploring Visibility Theory and Social Adaptation Theory, we unpack what’s working, what’s not, and what it’ll take to make women’s sports part of the mainstream — for good.

If you care about the future of sports, fandom, and representation, this is one you don’t want to miss.