Leveling the Playing Field for Women
How Ally Financial is promoting equity in women’s sports.
> “Sports teaches discipline, to be part of something bigger than > themselves. It teaches core leadership values and how to act and work > as a team. Those skills are important in business”. BRIDGET SPONSKY
Equity for women and minorities is a top priority for Ally Financial, one that’s reflected in their work with customers, suppliers and in the communities they serve. In May 2022, the company announced its 50/50 Pledge, a commitment to spend equally on paid media across men’s and women’s sports within five years.
“The 50/50 Pledge is a perfect demonstration of what we’ve already been working on in supplier diversity and it showcases our core values around DE&I. It’s a natural fit for us to take a leadership role to change the industry,” says T.J. Lewis, senior director of supplier diversity and sustainability. He adds that Ally’s spend with women-owned businesses has grown by 170% over the past four years.
“We saw a huge disparity in media coverage between men’s and women’s sports. Then we looked at our own investment and decided to architect a change,” explains Bridget Sponsky, executive director of brand and sponsorship marketing. “Fans want to watch women’s sports but can’t find those games on TV because they are often buried.”
The company also saw how sports has a direct impact on the development of women as leaders. Sponsky says an estimated 94% of women in chief leadership positions have played sports at some point in their lives.
“Sports teaches discipline, to be part of something bigger than themselves. It teaches core leadership values and how to act and work as a team. Those skills are important in business,” she says.
Ally’s investment in women’s sports takes a three-pronged approach. The first is persuading legacy media companies to increase coverage and access to women’s games. Ally worked with CBS executives and the National Women’s Soccer League to move the professional championship game to prime time for the first time ever in 2022. According to Front Office Sports, viewership for that game surged 71% over the previous championship, making it the most watched match in league history.
The second phase involves working with minority- and women-owned media companies to increase coverage of women’s sports through their media platforms. According to the Sports Business Journal, an estimated 40% of Ally’s budget for women’s sports marketing will go toward these smaller platforms. “Investing in these media companies over the long term will help their platforms grow,” Sponsky says.
The third phase addresses the pay disparity between male and female athletes. Sponsky shared that many female athletes don’t earn enough through their sport and often have side hustles to cover their basic expenses and build their personal brand. Ally formed Team Ally, comprised of retired and current female athletes, who are using their platforms to encourage increased support and investment in women’s sports.
The company also partnered with Sports Innovation Lab, which formed The Women’s Sports Club, comprised of top athletes, league reps, sports journalists, and other sports-related professionals to continue the conversation about equity in women’s sports.
Individuals and smaller companies can show their support too, says Sponsky. “Social media is a huge megaphone where you can share game highlights and follow athletes. Support your daughter and attend her games. Advertise your company through streaming services. Every little action counts.”
Those actions are beginning to make an impact. Media coverage of women’s sports has increased from 4% of all sports programming several years ago to 15% in 2023. Much of that coverage comes from emerging media companies and streaming platforms owned by women.
The company was also recognized for its sports initiatives by Fast Company, which gave Ally the Brands That Matter award in 2023. The Greater Women’s Business Council recognized them in 2022 and 2023 as a Top Corporation of the Year, and Lewis was recognized as Advocate of the Year in 2023.
Lewis and Sponsky realize that more work is needed to level the playing field for the entire industry. “It’s one thing to be a brand that everyone knows, but it’s more important that we’re making a difference. We hope more companies will join this movement and change the course of equity for women,” Sponsky says.
