Courtside with Laura Correnti

iHeart Women's Sports
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Women’s sports aren’t just growing—they’re booming. And Courtside is where you’ll get the inside track on the deals, disruptors, and dollars driving the industry forward. Hosted by Laura Correnti, award-winning media executive and founder of Deep Blue Sports & Entertainment, this podcast goes beyond the scores to spotlight the power players, trends, and investments shaping the future of this billion-dollar business. From groundbreaking sponsorships to media rights battles and the investors betting big, Courtside delivers the play-by-play on how women’s sports are changing the game. Whether you’re an industry insider, investor, athlete, or a fan ready to see women’s sports thrive, this is your front-row seat to the action: Courtside.

  1. 20/11/2025

    Courtside Away Game: Laura Correnti on Possible Now with Christian Muche

    Laura joins the Possible NOW Podcast with Christian Muche to discuss why women’s sports isn’t charity—it’s business. Drawing on her career identifying white space and turning it into opportunity, Laura unpacks the myths keeping advertisers on the sidelines, how athletes are redefining ownership through their own media platforms, and why the next billion-dollar growth story in sports will be led by women.   02:08 Laura's Early Love for Sports04:17 The Transferable Skills from Sports to Leadership08:34 The Business Case for Women's Sports17:08 The Impact of Media and Athlete Platforms25:11 Innovative Sponsorship Models31:35 Future Visions and Partnerships37:31 Conclusion and Final Thoughts See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    39 min

  2. 13/11/2025

    Karina LeBlanc on Making Portland the Epicenter of Women’s Sports

    For nearly 20 years, Karina LeBlanc was known for defending Canada’s net. Now she’s defending the future of women’s sports as EVP of Strategic Growth at RAJ Sports, where she’s helping lead both the Portland Thorns and the new WNBA expansion team, the Portland Fire—which also happens to be Portlands original WNBA team. She joins Laura to talk about playing the long game—creating generational impact, measuring success beyond wins, and why Portland might just be the global epicenter of women’s sports.   03:15 The Impact of Sports on Personal Growth05:53 Overcoming Challenges and Embracing Failure12:09 Transitioning to Executive Roles25:50 The Unique Appeal of Women's Sports27:42 The Power of Representation and Role Models31:10 Innovative Partnerships and Community Impact34:52 The Epicenter of Women's Sports: Portland's Vision42:09 Personal Reflections and Future Aspirations See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    50 min

  3. 06/11/2025

    Courtside Away Game: Laura Correnti on Nice Talk with Marie Claire's Nikki Ogunnaike

    Joining Editor in Chief of Marie Claire Nikki Ogunnaike, Laura traces her journey from college athlete to successful partner at Giant Spoon, and how she founded Deep Blue to drive commercial investment in women’s sports. They explore the critical role sports play in achieving career leadership, the impactful intersection of advertising with women's sports, and the innovative strides being made to elevate women's sports through creative investments and new business models. 01:55 Laura's Journey: From Soccer to Advertising03:03 The Impact of Sports on Corporate Careers05:15 Early Career in Digital Media06:54 Building Giant Spoon and Entrepreneurial Insights15:01 Deep Blue's Mission and Market Challenges17:12 Partnering with Sue Bird and Strategic Vision19:21 The Economic and Social Impact of Women's Sports23:22 Future Vision for Deep Blue and Women's Sports35:25 Lightning Round: Money, Style, and Power See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    37 min

  4. 30/10/2025

    Mike Nichols of Gainbridge on Playing the Long Game in Women's Sports 

    Mike Nichols has spent nearly two decades proving women’s sports are undervalued—and he’s putting his investments where the returns are. The former LPGA exec turned Chief of Sponsorship Strategy at Group 1001 joins Laura to talk about Gainbridge’s partnerships with the USL Super League, Caitlin Clark, and more. They get into why 40% of his sponsorship dollars go to women’s sports, how $5,000 grants can create outsized impact, and where the opportunity lies for brands willing to get in from grassroots to the ground floor. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    27 min

  5. 18/09/2025

    Broom & Shovel Leadership: Cori Close on Building an Uncommon Program

    UCLA WBB head coach Cori Close joins Laura to talk about a culture that outlasts banners and awards—sweeping the sheds, nurturing the roots, and why “coaching people’s hearts” is her real playbook. She opens up about the Final Four learning curve, the NIL and transfer-era noise, and what infrastructure college programs actually need so coaches can coach. Plus: the service work that connects teams—and how gratitude, discipline, and “uncommon” choices turn talent into titles. 01:18 Coach Cori Close's Journey and Early Influences03:35 The Coach Close Basketball Method06:28 Achievements and Reflections on Awards09:11 Mental Conditioning and Player Development13:13 Challenges and Lessons from the Final Four17:43 Navigating NIL and Financial Conversations23:50 Future of Women's College Basketball See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    33 min

  6. 11/09/2025

    The Playbook for Multi-Hyphenate Marketing: Constance Schwartz-Morini on Athlete-Led Brands

    Constance Schwartz-Morini, CEO of SMAC Entertainment, has turned sports talent across sports into household names along with her partner and client Michael Strahan. She shares how she helped Strahan become a media mogul, why Deion Sanders is the ultimate CMO, and how she’s shaping the future in women’s sports with clients including Emma Hayes, Brie and Nikki Garcia, and Erin Andrews. They dig into what it takes to build athlete-led content, how to expand careers beyond the game, and why the women’s side of sports is ready for a bigger stage.   00:31 Introduction01:50 Constance Schwartz-Morini's Early Life and Career06:28 Building SMAC Entertainment with Michael Strahan08:40 Developing Athlete Brands: The Case of Deion Sanders12:48 Empowering Women in Sports15:16 Challenges and Strategies in Women's Sports Management20:10 Future Directions and Final Thoughts See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    28 min

  7. 28/08/2025

    Courtside Away Game: Laura Correnti on The Deal with Alex Rodriguez and Jason Kelly 

    When Laura founded Deep Blue Sports + Entertainment, the first firm dedicated to commercial investment and growth opportunities in women's sports, she changed the game. She dives into how she did it: explaining inspiration she drew from the U.S. Women's National Soccer Team, why she’s torn up her five-year plan so many times amidst the growth of women’s sports, and what needs to be done to create more “multi-hyphenates” amongst female athletes. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    46 min

  8. 20/08/2025

    Future Proofing Sports: Inside Overtime’s Disruptive Model with EJ Lawrence

    What happens when you design a sports league for the next digitally-led generation instead of adapting for an old one? You get Overtime—a media and sports company rewriting the rules. EJ Lawrence, Head of League Partnership Development, joins Laura to unpack the strategy behind its four leagues (including Overtime Select, its women’s basketball property), the content engine driving a tidal wave of content every week and the sponsorship model built for storytelling. They get into what Gen Z wants from sports, how Overtime is closing coverage and funding gaps, and why building a fan community (150MM+!!) means listening as much as talking. 01:41 EJ Lawrence's Journey in Sports05:38 From Traditional Sports to Digital Media09:25 Joining Overtime and Its Unique Model12:09 Overtime's Audience and Content Strategy18:52 Building Brand Relationships in Basketball19:42 Reimagining Sponsorship at Overtime22:43 Empowering Athletes On and Off the Court25:42 Overtime Select: Structure and Success32:27 Parental Involvement and Feedback34:54 Expanding Storytelling and Crossover Events See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    38 min
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About

Women’s sports aren’t just growing—they’re booming. And Courtside is where you’ll get the inside track on the deals, disruptors, and dollars driving the industry forward. Hosted by Laura Correnti, award-winning media executive and founder of Deep Blue Sports & Entertainment, this podcast goes beyond the scores to spotlight the power players, trends, and investments shaping the future of this billion-dollar business. From groundbreaking sponsorships to media rights battles and the investors betting big, Courtside delivers the play-by-play on how women’s sports are changing the game. Whether you’re an industry insider, investor, athlete, or a fan ready to see women’s sports thrive, this is your front-row seat to the action: Courtside.

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    iHeart Women's Sports
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    iHeartPodcasts
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    25
  • Rating
    Clean
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    2026 iHeartMedia, Inc. © Any use of this intellectual property for text and data mining or computational analysis including as training material for artificial intelligence systems is strictly prohibited without express written consent from iHeartMedia
  • Show Website
    Courtside with Laura Correnti

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