As attendance continues to swell at WNBA games, there is the inevitable downtime when a favorite team is on the road. The New York Liberty Bar Network is filling the gap at bars across the city, which are holding official watch parties for Liberty away games. It’s not only a means of staying connected when the team is on the road; it’s also a way to foster relationships and introduce new fans to the game.
The Connecticut Sun has launched a Bar League, which brings the excitement of the WNBA to bars and restaurants across the state. The league runs from June through September and is designed to strengthen the team’s presence in communities and expand the Sun’s fan base. It also gives bar owners in Connecticut opportunities to create unique experiences for patrons.
This is softball season for Athletes Unlimited (AU), but the vision for its new Women’s Sports Bar Alliance is a national network of women’s sports bars where fans come together to celebrate athletes, games, and community. There are currently 16 participating bars in 13 states and the District of Columbia. In NYC, there is Athena Keke’s in Brooklyn and Wilka’s in Manhattan, both of which are also part of the Liberty Bar Network.
The mother of women’s sports bars is the Sports Bra in Portland, Ore., launched by Jenny Nguyen in 2022. “The proliferation of women’s sports bars across the country is exploding,” said Matt Biggers, AU vice president of marketing. “We’ve been doing promotions, including pop-ups with the Sports Bra — watch parties and co-branded merchandise with them — for the last two-plus years. As others started growing … we created the Athletes Unlimited Sports Bar Alliance.”
Bars in the Alliance receive activation giveaways, including pens, coasters, cups, rally towels, and AU Softball League (AUSL) T-shirts for staff to wear during softball season. Most of these bars are located in cities where AUSL does not play, so every game is an away game. As with the New York and Connecticut bar networks, these are inclusive spaces and men are welcome. Some are family friends.
“The demand is being recognized,” said Biggers. “There are fans out there that want a community and a place to be able to go and watch these games … Whether we play games in your city or town, we still want fans across the country.”