England’s run to its first appearance in the FIFA Women’s World Cup final appears to be stoking increased sports betting interest in the U.K. 

One British bookmaker has seen a higher number of bets placed than at previous Women’s World Cups, and a new report shows women bettors have been responsible for 21% of the bets placed this summer.

England will face Spain in the Women’s World Cup final on Sunday at 6 a.m. ET on Fox and Telemundo in the U.S. Its quarterfinal win over Columbia averaged 7.2 million viewers in the U.K. — and the forthcoming numbers for the Lionesses’ 3-1 thriller over Australia on Wednesday will likely be even higher.

Back Across The Pond

Women’s sports in general have seen a recent rise in sports betting interest and  viewership.

DraftKings tells Front Office Sports that the Women’s World Cup has been its third-most bet-on league/sport behind MLB and UFC since the tournament began on July 20. That’s impressive when considering that the same time period has also included Lionel Messi and Inter Miami’s run through the Leagues Cup, preseason NFL games, and the beginning of the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup Playoffs.

No specific figures are available, but more American bettors potentially could’ve been waiting to bet on the USWNT in the later rounds of the tournament, before the U.S. crashed out in the Round of 16.

One of the most popular and influential sports-related apparel brands of the 1990s is readying a large-scale comeback more than a generation later.

Starter — whose satin jackets were once a fixture of both pro team sidelines and music videos — is prepping a set of deals aimed at returning the brand to the summit of pop culture.

Owned by Iconix Brand Group Inc. and licensed to G-III Apparel Group Ltd. — whose sports efforts are led by New York Giants legend Carl Banks — the company is reportedly negotiating on-field licensing deals with the Fox Sports-controlled USFL and the Arena Football League. 

Those will add to existing fan-directed licensing pacts with the NFL, MLB, NBA, several college programs, an NHL collection set for release this fall, and a 20% rise in sales this year. 

Last month, the MLB pact saw the licensed rerelease of the famous Bronx Bubble jacket, celebrated with a high-profile event at the league’s flagship store in New York. “Some of hip-hop’s greatest pioneers wore this jacket,” Banks said.

The upswing marks a high point in what has been a turbulent run for the brand over the past two-plus decades. 

After filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 1999 amid a marked sales downturn, Starter has bounced between several different ownership and operating structures. Nike bought the company in 2004, only to sell it to Iconix three years later in a $60 million deal. G-III then arrived in 2012.

Now, Starter is looking to upstart leagues, and potentially Europe, as a way to sidestep long-term exclusive pacts for on-field rights held by rival companies such as Nike.

A long-expected tipping point has finally arrived for the media landscape, one that will significantly affect the business of sports.

Usage of traditional TV  — broadcast and linear pay television — in the U.S. fell below 50% of all TV consumption for the first time in July, according to Nielsen data. Streaming services, conversely, reached an all-time-high 38.7% share of TV use last month, while other uses such as video-on-demand, audio streaming, and DVD playback amounted to 11.6%.

Recent statistics illustrate an evolving trend, characterized by ongoing shifts in pay-TV subscribers and evident in significant sports rights deals like MLS’ pact with Apple. Even the NFL moved “Thursday Night Football” from Fox to Amazon as streaming surpassed cable usage last year.

But while these numbers show a growing shift from consumers, the business models to support that activity haven’t kept up.

One need only look to the bankrupt Diamond Sports Group, a Pac-12 conference in tatters, or the staunchly pro-linear Fox Corp. to see how streaming revenue still hasn’t come close to the reach of its traditional counterpart.

“Even with this move to streaming, everybody is still figuring out the business model,” Chris Russo, CEO of sports advisory firm Fifth Generation Sports, told Front Office Sports. “The jury is still out on what the optimal model is, because we’re really still in the middle of the changeover.”

The next several months will provide a key litmus test for the durability of the streaming-first trend: Nielsen expects a sharp increase in broadcast and cable TV usage with the return of college and pro football.

The Big 12 will expand to 16 teams next year — at which point it will only get more competitive and bring in more media revenue. Now, one of its schools traditionally known as a basketball powerhouse is spending more money on the football field.

The University of Kansas has set an initial fundraising goal of $300 million to renovate its football stadium and bolster the surrounding area with a new conference center and multi-use facilities. New renderings show a transformed Gateway District with retail and dining amenities.

The first phase of the project, which will begin after this season, will see the building of new southwest, west, and north sides for David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium. The venue will be reduced from its normal capacity of 47,000 for the 2024 season.

Additionally, the Anderson Family Football Complex — KU’s training facility — will be expanded and renovated with additions like a sports medicine center and 1,200-square-foot content studio to accommodate an increasing focus on NIL.

That $300 million figure is close to but not quite on par with recent renovations at traditional football schools like Florida, which is spending $400 million to upgrade The Swamp.

The Jayhawks finished seventh in the Big 12 last season after finishing last in the conference the previous seven seasons — their 6-6 regular-season record was good enough for the school’s first bowl appearance since 2008.

In 2024, the College Football Playoff will expand to 12 teams, allowing more schools to bring in lucrative postseason revenue.