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Volume 162, No. 7 Serving Chicago’s legal community for 161 years Women in sports make a name for themselves in 2015 as 2015 a Athletics, , St. seminal year for Louis Cardinals, women in and . SPORTS MARKETING PLAYBOOK sports? Looking Siegal served a two-week back, it sure coaching stint in the Athletics’ sWeems that way. Female athletes instructional league in October achieved many firsts in 2015, as as a guest instructor for the did other women in areas of team’s prospects. sports that are traditionally The NFL also scored its first DOUGLAS N. M ASTERS dominated by men. And perhaps female . The Arizona AND SETH A. R OSE just as importantly, 2015 saw the Cardinals named Jennifer continuation of an attitude Welter, a preseason coaching adjustment toward more respect intern, to assist in coaching the Douglas N. Masters is a partner at Loeb & Loeb LLP, where he litigates and for women’s athletic abilities. team’s linebackers. counsels clients primarily in intellectual property, advertising and unfair Let’s start with the awards While having a female coach competition. He is deputy chairman of the firm’s advanced media and technology and accolades. Sports Illustrated on a men’s professional team was department and co-chair of the firm’s intellectual property protection group. He can named tennis star Serena a first for the NFL, it wasn’t a be reached at [email protected]. Seth A. Rose is a partner at the firm, where he Williams Sportsperson of the first for Welter, who not only counsels clients on programs and initiatives in advertising, marketing, promotions, Year, the first woman to receive coached linebackers for the media, sponsorships, entertainment, branded and integrated marketing, and social this distinction in 32 years. Texas Revolution — a men’s media. He can be reached at [email protected]. Williams won three out of the professional indoor football team four Grand Slam events in 2015. — but she also played running series of firsts this year. tennis champ Not only was she ranked the back for the team in 2014 (and Mendoza, who joined ESPN in collected from Gillette, No. 1 female player in the world, for 14 years on women’s teams). 2007, became the network’s first Mercedes-Benz, Nike, Rolex and for the first time in the history of The NFL also signed on its woman to call a nationally Wilson, Opendorse notes. the Women’s Tennis Association first female full-time game televised MLB playoff game, the And, in case anyone’s rankings, Williams accumulated official, Sarah Thomas. While first female game analyst on wondering, Williams is No. 20 on twice as many points as the No. 2 Thomas does not have the “Monday Night ” and the the Opendorse list with $13 ranked player. distinction of being the first first female “Sunday Night million from deals with Chase, Williams, who has been a female to officiate an NFL game Baseball” analyst. Gatorade, Wilson, Nike and dominating force in women’s (Shannon Eastin served as a For male athletes, more wins Hewlett-Packard. tennis for years, is well recog - replacement during the officials’ and more visibility often mean Down the list is Rousey at No. nized by both tennis fans and lockout in 2012), she is the first more — and more lucrative — 65 with $3.5 million earned from those who don’t know a serve female full-time official. endorsements. In 2015, women Budweiser, Buffalo Jeans, from a volley. In addition, she was the first started to claim a larger share of Reebok and Monster Energy In contrast, mixed martial arts woman to officiate a major endorsement deals as well. While endorsements. fighter — who college football game (for a hopeful sign of their increasing What can make the difference? remained undefeated from her Conference USA) and the first to influence in the sports world, As an example, Rousey may not 2010 debut until a stunning upset officiate a bowl game (the 2009 women athletes still have a long yet have quite the fortune of in November — raised both her Little Caesars Bowl). way to go before beginning to other female athletes, but her public profile and mainstream Of all the major sports approach the amount of endorse - fame grew considerably this past interest in MMA in 2015. leagues, the NBA seems to — at ments male athletes receive. year. Her increasing crossover At the 2015 ESPY Awards, least historically — be the most The top 100 athletes raked in appeal with audiences less ESPN gave its Best Female welcoming to women. Becky an estimated $917 million in familiar with her work inside the Athlete Award to Rousey. The Hammon, who served as an endorsements in 2015, according MMA octagon has been fueled by New York Times called her the assistant coach with the San to opendorse.com, an online small roles in the 2015 films most successful female MMA Antonio Spurs since 2014 (the platform that connects “Entourage” and “Furious 7.” fighter of all time. first female full-time coach in the marketers with athletes for She’s also set to appear in In the past year, women have NBA), served as head coach of endorsement campaigns. 2016’s “Roadhouse” remake. In also broken down barriers in the team’s summer league in Overall, women appeared just 10 addition, Rousey’s best-selling other areas of the sports world, 2015, leading the Spurs to the times on the Opendorse list and autobiography, “My Fight/Your including coaching and offici - Las Vegas Summer League title made a little more than 8 percent Fight,” published in May, and her ating. The in July. of the total earnings. appearance in the style pages of hired the first female coach in With Hammon, the NBA Tennis star The New York Times, have also MLB history. actually now has two female is the highest ranked woman at helped new audiences see her as In 2011, Justine Siegal became assistant coaches and two female No. 12 with $23 million earned more than her “rowdy” MMA the first woman to throw batting referees — and Michele Roberts from endorsement deals alone. persona. practice in the majors during the heads the NBA Players Companies like Avon, Evian, While female athletes at the spring Association as executive Porsche and Samsung have all highest levels seek to make their training. She’s since thrown director. lined up to have Sharapova pitch mark outside their sports to batting practice for a number of Off the field, ESPN broad - their wares. That’s less than half broaden their appeal and teams, including the Oakland caster Jessica Mendoza scored a the $58 million No. 1-ranked increase their earning potentials,

Copyright © 2016 Law Bulletin Publishing Company. All rights reserved. Reprinted with permission from Law Bulletin Publishing Company. parity with male athletes boys[’] sports always get the president at the event, according seen. Nonetheless, if 2015 is remains elusive. most attention. I want to do to the White House blog. indicative, women are on the Men’s sports get more televi - something about it.” Whether the gains made by right track and unlikely to return sion coverage and more attention Obama apparently took Ayla’s female athletes, coaches, to the lower value placed on overall. As 13-year-old Ayla, a desire seriously. After the U.S. referees and broadcasters in female sports a dozen years ago. Massachusetts women’s soccer women’s soccer team won the 2015 2015 will translate into increased Or, as Obama said as he fan, wrote to President Barack FIFA World Cup, he invited the visibility and endorsements, as congratulated Team USA: Obama during the Women’s team — and his pen pal — to the well as opportunities for other “Playing like a girl means you’re World Cup: “I hate the fact that White House. Ayla introduced the women in sports, remains to be a badass.”

Copyright © 2016 Law Bulletin Publishing Company. All rights reserved. Reprinted with permission from Law Bulletin Publishing Company.