How Togethxr helped change women’s sports in its first five years

Everyone knows the “Everyone Watches Women’s Sports” T-shirt.

The original was introduced by media and e-commerce company Togethxr in December 2023, just in time for a revolutionary women’s March Madness. In 2024, “Everyone Watches Women’s Sports” merch brought in more than $6 million in revenue for Togethxr, and as of this month, merch revenue is up to more than $8 million, according to the company.

The interest doesn’t seem to be slowing down any time soon. When Togethxr announced “Everyone Watches Women’s Hockey” merch the week following Team USA’s gold medal win, tens of thousands of people signed up for the waitlist within days, Jessica Robertson, the company’s co-founder and chief brand officer, told Marketing Brew.

“There was a question that we had internally, because ‘Everyone Watches Women’s Sports’ as a product was so successful…would there be some sort of market fatigue?” Robertson said. “What we’re finding is [that] because fandom is so personal, everyone wants one that feels like theirs.”

Togethxr celebrated its five-year anniversary earlier this month, and the company wants to be known as more than the proprietor of a shirt that’s become synonymous with women’s sports fandom. It’s first and biggest revenue generator was brand partnerships, Robertson said, and the trajectory of sponsorship interest over the years mirrors the evolution of women’s sports marketing strategies—and Togethxr’s role in the ecosystem.

It’s madness

Robertson and her co-founders—basketball legend Sue Bird, soccer icon Alex Morgan, Olympic gold-medal snowboarder Chloe Kim, and Olympic gold-medal swimmer Simone Manuel—officially debuted the brand in March of 2021, just weeks before the NCAA faced scrutiny for unequal conditions for men’s and women’s players during March Madness. (At the time, the women’s tournament wasn’t allowed to use “March Madness” branding, while athletes described behind-the-scenes disparities in facilities and food. The NCAA changed the branding rule ahead of the 2022 tournament.)

The controversy had a ripple effect that extended to sponsors, some of which began to question if their investments were contributing to the inequality, Robertson said. At Togethxr, there was “a firehose of inbound from brand partners who were like, ‘We’ve been part of the problem,’” she said.

In the years since, the company has continued to embrace live events surrounding basketball. Events and community experiences like March Madness watch parties, which Togethxr has hosted in partnership with brands like Aflac, are a key revenue driver for the company, Robertson said.

Beyond the March Madness activations, Togethxr has had a growing presence at WNBA All-Star Weekend, Bailey Williamson, SVP of partnerships, told us. Last year, her team put on nine events over the course of the weekend, each with a different partner, including Bumble, Cover Girl, EA Sports, and Dick’s Sporting Goods.

Even so, there’s a lack of live shoulder programming surrounding women’s sports tentpoles, something Robertson said she hopes to see change.

“Only in the past couple years has WNBA All-Star, even Women’s Final Four, started to feel like this big event that you can’t possibly miss,” she said. “In order for this space to grow, especially as we see more teams, more leagues, more players, more media come into the space, we need more inventory. We’re not even meeting the demand at this point.”

Merch mania

Another major area of the women’s sports ecosystem with a history of unmet demand is the merch market. Togethxr has approached the space methodically, targeting culturally relevant sports, teams, and leagues, gut-checking ideas against audience data, and staying flexible to make sure drops land at moments of maximum impact, Robertson said.

One notable example: Togethxr had initially planned to release its “Everyone Watches Women’s Hockey” line during the current PWHL season but moved up the date given the buzz around the sport during the Olympics, she said.

Other drops, like Togethxr’s tennis collab with Nike, are planned with a longer runway. “Because we knew the US Open was coming, we were very mindful about giving enough time to promote that product [to] get a taste and appetite for that product,” Robertson said.

In addition to generating revenue for Togethxr and filling the market gap in women’s sports merch, the “Everyone Watches Women’s Sports” products are like a “walking, talking billboard for Togethxr as a brand” to potential brand partners, Williamson said.

When Williamson started pitching partnerships at Togethxr three years ago, it was something of an uphill battle, with conversations largely focused on educating marketers about opportunities in women’s sports, she said. In the last year or so, there’s been a shift.

“It’s felt like brands are seeking a path of ownership within women’s sports,” Williamson said.

Williamson said the company’s reputation among athletes (partially due to its founders, and partially due to its early work) and Togethxr’s willingness to be flexible and customize campaigns for brand partners helps the company stand out compared to some other sports institutions.

“There’s a lot of restrictions,” Williamson said. “We all work in this circular but uplifting motion, but it’s a little bit easier to partner with us in a more unbridled way than sometimes it may feel like with a team or a league.”

Content, content

Robertson said she’s eager to continue developing Togethxr’s slate of content and original programming, like its podcasts. Last month, the company inked a deal with the agency Horizon Sports & Experiences focused on women’s sports storytelling. Their joint venture, IX to Five, has already announced upcoming content with WNBA players Courtney Williams and Natisha Hiedeman (aka the StudBudz) and Sportsish Founder Lily Shimbashi. (Togethxr is an equity partner of Sportsish.)

Togethxr also recently partnered with Aveeno on an editorial project called “The Strength Issue,” which features digital, social, and print content with ballet dancer Misty Copeland, WNBA player Cameron Brink, Paralympic swimmer Ali Truwit, and NWSL and USWNT player Sophia Wilson.

The team at Togethxr plans to continue bringing more athlete and creator voices to its platform, Robertson said, building its own audience while also continuing to drive appetite for women’s sports.

“We want to be the storyteller of record for women’s sports,” she said. “We’re not live rights holders, but there’s plenty of storytelling to be done, pre, during and post a live event…Storytelling as a catch-all is such an important driver in the larger ecosystem.”