PivotSue Bird and Megan Rapinoe on the Booming Business of Women's Sports | Pivot
CHAPTERS
- 0:00 – 1:15
Launching “A Touch More”: from IG Live pandemic hangouts to a Vox Media podcast
Kara welcomes Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe and asks how the new podcast is going. Sue explains how “A Touch More” began as a weekly IG Live during COVID and evolved through live shows into a podcast with a women’s sports focus.
- 1:15 – 1:33
Do we really need another podcast? Finding a distinct voice in an overcrowded medium
Kara jokes about the ubiquity of podcasts and asks if they felt pressured to join the trend. Sue and Megan admit the saturation initially kept them out, but they’re leaning into making theirs worth listening to.
- 1:33 – 2:17
WNBA boom: record demand, new stars, and Sue Bird’s ownership perspective
Kara pivots to the WNBA’s surge in viewership and attendance, citing ticket growth and rising prices, plus Sue’s role in the Seattle Storm ownership group. She asks what the league should do to build on the current enthusiasm driven by rookie attention and broader momentum.
- 2:17 – 3:48
Sue Bird: the product was already elite—now the league has crossed the “celebrity line”
Sue argues the on-court product has been strong for years and that teams are now being run with long-term business strategy. She frames the current moment as finally crossing an ‘imaginary line of celebrity’ that men often receive automatically, unlocking new perception and demand.
- 3:48 – 4:04
The next growth phase: invest in women’s sports based on potential, not proof
Sue emphasizes that the league has succeeded despite limited support and calls on networks, sponsors, and corporate partners to underwrite the next level of growth. The message: women’s sports has proven viability—now imagine the upside with proportional investment.
- 4:04 – 5:50
Megan Rapinoe: excuses ran out—social change, social media, and new money changed the tide
Megan links the momentum to broader cultural shifts and a diminishing tolerance for overt discrimination, alongside the ability for players to tell their own stories via social platforms. She notes prominent investors joining women’s teams and argues women are forced to ‘catch lightning in a bottle’ while men get funded on potential.
- 5:50 – 7:25
Sports as asset classes: where value is rising, and the limits of maximizing men’s leagues
Scott asks which leagues are increasing or decreasing in value. Megan suggests men’s sports are heavily monetized already (betting, tech overlays), while women’s sports has broad room to grow due to underinvestment; she also questions the long-term sustainability of football given player health concerns.
- 7:25 – 8:33
Athletes and social media: self-expression vs. the ‘hellscape’ of comments and trolls
Kara asks whether social media’s benefits outweigh its harms for athletes. Megan describes using platforms primarily for expression and advises avoiding comments, while acknowledging how difficult that is—especially for younger athletes raised inside the ecosystem.
- 8:33 – 9:29
Sue Bird on balance: a ‘fake place with real consequences’—but crucial for women’s sports growth
Sue characterizes social media as artificial yet impactful, requiring constant recalibration. She also credits it with materially growing the WNBA and athlete brands, amplifying messages, and building awareness—while hoping media literacy becomes standard for kids.
- 9:29 – 10:12
Platform accountability: why internet companies haven’t stopped the degradation of discourse
Megan broadens the critique to tech and media companies, arguing they’ve done little despite knowing the harms. She points to bots, trolling, and normalized negativity as the default online behavior and asks where corporate responsibility lies.
- 10:12 – 12:05
Being a power couple in business: boundaries, therapy, and time management
Scott asks about best practices for couples working together. Megan and Sue describe leaning on couples therapy and strong teams, and Sue highlights the challenge of defining ‘work time’ vs. ‘off time’ when their professional focus overlaps with everyday conversation.
- 12:05 – 12:19
Wrap-up and plug: where to hear more from Bird and Rapinoe
Kara thanks Megan and Sue and directs listeners to their show for more discussion at the intersection of women’s sports and business. The conversation ends with an invitation to follow “A Touch More.”
