What if broadcasters didn't pay for rights? Innovative distribution model behind US women's football firm's plan to create "virtuous cycle of investment"

England's top women's league, FA Women's Super League (FA WSL), is this season for the first time ever being broadcasted on US television thanks to Atalanta Media, a women's football-oriented firm that launched earlier this year with the goal of elevating the sport's global attractiveness and appeal.

Through an atypical partnership where NBC, the Comcast Corp-owned network (rebranded as NBCSN), is not paying a single dime, the broadcast giant's viewers in 85 million American households is now able to watch some of the best women's football in the world, a landmark deal for the sport.

Atalanta Media, founded by former professional player Esmeralda Negron who since retiring has moved on to a career in sports marketing and former Sky media rights executive Hannah Brown, says it represents a "fundamental shift in media rights distribution" by initially offering the rights it purchases from leagues entirely for free.

"It's natural for rights holders to want revenue and a fee for their rights. But it's hard when it's not a proven entity or fan base yet," Negron tells offthepitch.com.

Low risk high reward

Atalanta Media chose this specific model of distribution hoping to put in place foundations that will eventually attract more traditional revenue streams. The main issue currently, Negron says, is that women's football lacks a basis of comparison for the value it can provide.

"It's hard for broadcasters to invest when customer acquisition value just isn't there and they don't know what they can sell their advertisement for, however they monetise this," she says.

But when you remove the upfront cost for broadcasters, the path to growth suddenly becomes a lot clearer.

"We are investing in these rights, making sure the rights holders are getting some sort of revenue from their international rights and they're happy. And we are making it incredibly easy and supporting our broadcast partners so these matches can get premium broadcast distribution," Negron says. 

And in turn, all stakeholders – clubs, leagues, broadcasters etc. - stand to benefit because distribution to key markets, the strategic focal point for most men's clubs and competitions as well, becomes available at such a low cost of entry.

"It's a white space and for a fraction of the investment on the men's side you can make that much of a difference on the women's side. Either tapping into the same fanbase and engaging them in an increased way or galvanizing and getting more fans from a global perspective," Negron says.

"Virtuous cycle of investment" 

Besides the FA WSL, the firm, backed by seed investment from Miami-based investment company 777 Partners, has acquired the rights to France's D1 Arkema women's league, adding distribution to ESPN+ in the US, BT Sport in the UK and Ireland, and DAZN in Italy, and Germany's Frauen-Bundesliga.

Negron says attracting partners for the project and getting broadcasters on board hasn't been difficult because stakeholders generally recognise the value women's football can provide.

"They are getting premium broadcast visibility and are able to capitalise on this – to create strategic partnerships with marketing outlets," she says, for example. 

That means increased market exposure, by extension leading to more ways for clubs to engage with already existing or potential new fan bases. 

"More fans [mean] more jersey sales, more opportunities to engage sponsors domestically and globally with something else they can sell sponsors and commercial partners," she says.

"We hope what we're doing will drive a virtuous cycle of investment for everybody, and [that] it benefits everybody involved in the women's football ecosystem," she says.

Personal fight

Under Atalanta Media's monetisation strategy, the firm keeps production rights and thereby sponsorship opportunities during matches. The firm also retains a number of advertising slots securing at least some immediate return on the investment. 

A Key part of Atalanta Media's project as well is a unique community platform where players and fans can engage with each other and gain access to match content, highlights and digital skills training.

For the former player Negron who grew up largely without female football players to mirror herself in on TV, Atalanta Media represents a personal ambition as much as a professional.

"I didn't have many opportunities to engage with the game as a young player. It's important for young girls to know there are opportunities to follow in the game. Also, to cultivate role models for these female players - they have to have possibilities," she says.

What is your ultimate goal with Atalanta Media?

"I would love to see the women's game get to a point where they are in regular conversation and getting covered just as much as men on all sorts of outlets where the viewership is up there. Because the value of the game has grown and the audience has grown, the money goes back into the players pockets," Negron says.  

"I want for brands and partners to invest in the women's game and feel confident in their investment, because I think across the board whoever invests in the women's game has hesitation because it's an unknown. We hope that it becomes a known and that the value increases and everybody benefits".