14 Comments

I wonder if there will be any backlash. On a similar note I've fully stopped listening to podcasts that had Noom ads. I know the Eli lily patch on the fever jerseys annoys the hell out of me. Would stop me from buying a jersey if I was a fever fan.

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I really loved this conversation between you and Virginia, and appreciated the insight about the ad buys. I've been home recovering from surgery the last couple of weeks and watching more TV than usual and it's just been.... non-stop pharmaceutical ads, of which probably 80% are for glp-1s. I really don't think there should be pharma ads or marketing, period; i'm curious how the placements during womens' sports compares to advertising across the board or in other media verticals.

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My partner is English and even after being in the U.S. almost 20 years, he’s still weirded out by pharmaceutical advertising. Which, fair!

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I had no idea how impactful ads during WNBA games were before you brought it up on Virginia's podcast. This really sucks. I know I feel bad every January when these types of weight loss/fitness ads are pushed. I'm an adult, I can't imagine how the kids and teens are feeling. This sucks.

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same! that 44% conversion stat was mindblowing!!

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Right???

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It’s really disheartening that the body positivity/neutrality movement has made so much progress over the last couple decades just to be slammed down again by popular sketchy weight loss drugs.

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WeGovey sponsors the PWHL too and it's such a strange partnership. I feel like all of the partnerships the PWHL has are really good for both audiences and I just don't see how this drug fits

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I had missed that sponsorship when I went looking and it bums me out so much to hear that.

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Agreed. There is non-stop policing and commercialization of women and their bodies. We need to not allow pharmaceutical companies to define “health and wellness” when their focus is markets and profits.

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Yep. There's also been an Ozempic dasherboard ad during several PWHL games.

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Ughhh I hadn’t seen that! That’s so upsetting.

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Also I heard today that Angel Reese signed a huge brand deal with McDonald’s because McDonald’s has been present in her life since she was a kid.

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Putting my “if only” hat on:

Women’s leagues get to a place that when they strike media deals they can also place restrictions on the types of advertising that can be placed during games. Make our own rules.

Women’s leagues and clubs can turn down sponsors that truly don’t align with the team’s values.

I know it’s idealistic and it’s always about $ and the people with the D (commissioners, lawyers, etc) and the US is doing a complete about face re: DEI, ESG, Sustainability, but hey I can dream.

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