Turning Doubts into Dollars: How One Investor Bet Big on Women's Sports

In the world of sports, women have long been overlooked, but one investor saw an opportunity where others saw none. Alexis Ohanian, known for co-founding Reddit, took notice of the disparity in pay and attention given to women athletes. Back in 2019, he boldly stated that women's sports were undervalued and deserved better. Critics laughed, saying no one would watch or invest in women's sports. But Ohanian didn't let the doubters stop him. Fast forward to today, and Ohanian's investments in women's sports are paying off big time. He's now a key player in multiple women's sports teams and events, including Angel City FC, a professional women's soccer team. His success hasn't gone unnoticed, and he's made sure to remind those who doubted him. Ohanian has been tagging his old critics in social media posts, thanking them for the motivation.The growth of women's sports is remarkable. Just a few years ago, the expansion fee for a new team in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) was a mere $1 million. Today, that fee has skyrocketed to $150 million. This rapid growth is similar to the tech industry's boom, but it's happening in the world of women's sports. Despite this progress, women's sports still only make up a small portion of the total sports market. Ohanian believes the best is yet to come. With revenue expected to hit a record $2. 35 billion this year, the potential for growth is enormous. For those who doubted him, Ohanian's message is clear: women's sports are here to stay, and they're just getting started.