OFFICIAL NEWS

GROUNDBREAKING PARTNERSHIP POINTS

THE CAMERAS AT GRASSROOTS FEMALE SOCCER PLAYERS

Unique collaboration between The Sports Bra and United City FC Women increases access for women’s sports fans

LOS ANGELES and PORTLAND, Ore. (October 1st, 2024) — A new ROKU channel app showcasing a grassroots women’s academy soccer club has launched, thanks to a collaboration between Portland, Ore.-based The Sports Bra and United City FC Women from Los Angeles. The new channel is one more step forward in the movement to elevate women’s sports and women athletes by raising visibility and increasing access to viewing opportunities. This partnership puts the spotlight on grassroot players yet to be discovered by pro clubs in both the USA and overseas.

The Sports Bra, the nation’s first-of-its-kind sports bar dedicated to showing only women’s sports, was founded in 2022 by Jenny Nguyen with a mission to support and inspire women in sports and elevate visibility of women athletes.

United City FC Women is a grassroots academy soccer club based in Los Angeles founded in 2020 that, like The Sports Bra, has promoted women’s participation and visibility in sports by creating an environment for talent identification, development and a pathway to pro for female players.

The United City FC Women ROKU channel app, designed to broadcast live games, was installed and tested on site at The Sports Bra beginning in spring 2024. It is tailored to maximize the sports bar viewing experience. All games will be produced and streamed in HD with multi-cam angles giving viewers both close-up action from the field and a main grandstand view of full field play live from Championship Stadium in Irvine, California. Future plans include developing exclusive halftime content including interviews, mini stories, fitness workouts and other community building media to raise awareness of women in sports.

The demand for more access to women’s sports is clear. A 2019 study found that 95% of sports coverage was men’s sports, meaning just 5% was women. In the five years since, that has tripled to 15% and is on track to reach 20% by 2025.

“The Sports Bra has built its own path and made it work, despite the challenges of being the first,” said Steven Hawthorne, UCFC Women owner. “They have created an amazing environment to showcase women’s sports in a welcoming and inclusive space with great food and drinks.”

This groundbreaking partnership is another step towards helping elevate women athletes and introduce exciting players to fans who would have never been seen otherwise.

Both United City FC Women and The Sports Bra have big plans for the future. United City FC Women is embarking on an international tour in 2025/26 to play some of the biggest teams in Europe, while continuing to focus on player identification and development. And The Sports Bra is in talks with the first wave of investors who are interested in owning a franchised location of the iconic women’s sports bar.

“The current movement around women’s sports is just taking off, and the momentum is picking up every day,” said Jenny Nguyen, founder and CEO of The Sports Bra. “There is enormous room for growth in this industry, and the collaboration with UCFCWomen is a great way to keep moving forward and make real progress in our mission to support, elevate and inspire women athletes. This isn’t a zero-sum game, and there’s plenty of space for everyone to play—and win!”

Hawthorne added, “The only way to help move the needle for women in sports is to work with other visionaries and fearless game-changers who not only put their money where their mouth is, but do it with passion, commitment and for all the right reasons.”

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ABOUT UNITED CITY FC WOMEN

UCFCWomen was founded in 2019, not only out of necessity for the game, but from a passion for soccer itself. It is a multicultural amateur women’s soccer team focused on players who fell through the cracks, players overlooked by the college system, players needing a second chance, players told they’re too old to compete, mothers wanting to return to play, minority players of Latino, African American, Pan-Asian and other immigrant backgrounds who never got their opportunities to be seen and many others. Earlier this year, UCFCWomen set a new record as a non-pro team by sending five players to represent their national teams at the CONCACAF Women’s Gold Cup. unitedcityfc.com @UCFCwomen

ABOUT THE SPORTS BRA

Founded in April 2022, The Sports Bra in Portland, Ore., is the world’s first sports bar to only show women’s sports. Its mission is to make great food, delicious drinks, and provide a space that supports, empowers, and promotes girls and women in sports and in the community. In 2024, the company began welcoming investors to own The Sports Bra franchises nationwide. thesportsbraofficial.com   @thesportsbrapdx

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DARIELLE O’BRIEN SIGNS TO UTAH ROYALS IN NWSL

(Salt Lake City, 17th July)  Utah Royals FC announced today the signing of four players as National Team Replacement Players: midfielder Ellie Boren, defender Darielle O’Brien, and midfielder Shaelan Murison..

UTAH ROYALS ANNOUNCEMENT: CLICK HERE.

“We are pleased to add Ellie, Darielle, and Shaelan to our roster. As a staff, we have watched them closely and are confident that they will be excellent additions at Utah while we have some pieces missing due to international duty” said URFC Sporting Director Kelly Cousins. “They have earned this opportunity and we look forward to their contributions on the field.”

LSK KVINNER AND UCFC WOMEN UNITE

TO EMPOWER WOMEN’S FOOTBALL DEVELOPMENT

(Lillestrøm, 1st May)  LSK Kvinner, one of the most successful clubs in Norwegian women’s football history is delighted to announce a strategic collaboration with California based development team United City Football Club Women (UCFC Women) to strengthen the advancement of women’s football between Norway and USA.

OFFICIAL LSK ANNOUNCEMENT: CLICK HERE.

This partnership marks a significant step forward in promoting women’s football between the two countries and providing opportunities for aspiring female athletes on both sides of the Atlantic. LSK Kvinner, known to develop top international players, teams up with UCFC Women who recently had 5 players representing their nations at CONCACAF Women’s Gold Cup, will collaborate on multiple levels in women’s football.

Through this alliance, LSK Kvinner and UCFC Women aim to prioritize the development of talent from UCFC Women to elite competitions and programs, offering all female athletes unmatched avenues for progression and growth within the sport in Europe. This partnership will also focus on bringing LSK Kvinner to the USA on Tour during the off-season and opening up the US market to attract a new fanbase for LSK Kvinner and its players.

By collaborating closely with UCFC Women, LSK Kvinner seeks to foster a more inclusive and diverse environment within women’s football, ensuring that opportunities are accessible to players from all walks of life and communities in the US market.

UCFC Women and LSK Kvinner will also collaborate to attract new sponsorship opportunities, investment and create exclusive media content to drive both clubs forward into a new era of women’s football.

Both clubs pledge to engage with local communities, organizing joint initiatives and events to inspire and educate aspiring female football players. The collaboration will include initiatives to nurture future female coaches and leaders, empowering women to assume coaching and leadership roles in football.

Expressing enthusiasm for the collaboration, Jan Henrik Øydne, Sports Director of LSK Kvinner, stated: “We are thrilled to partner with UCFC Women in our joint mission to advance women’s football and create pathways for athletes. This collaboration represents a convergence of our shared values and a commitment to driving positive change in the footballing landscape.”

Steven Hawthorne, owner of UCFC Women added: “This partnership is a testament to the vision we have for women’s football. Jan Henrik Øydne and myself understand that simply trying to replicate men’s football isn’t the way forward, instead, we need to be innovative, visionary and totally committed to being instrumental in changing women’s football for the better. We will be planning a visit to Oslo in the near future and we look forward to having LSK Kvinner here in Los Angeles during their off season as we join forces in what is a celebration of women’s soccer”.

Both LSK Kvinner and UCFC Women eagerly anticipate a strong collaboration that will leave an enduring impact on women’s football between the clubs.