Bloomberg Business of Sports

Episode: Big Viewership for MLB’s Fall Classic; Briana Scurry Talks Goalies
Date: November 7, 2025
Host(s): Damian Sassour, Vanessa Perdomo
Guests: Al Leiter, Briana Scurry, Sarah Goffinson

Overview of the Episode

This episode dives into three major areas within the global sports business landscape:

• A recap of the thrilling MLB World Series between the Dodgers and Blue Jays.
• A detailed look at the evolving investment and branding landscape in women’s sports, featuring Trailblazing Sports Group CEO Sarah Goffinson.
• A personal and insightful interview with soccer legend and Hall of Famer Briana Scurry about the unique role and value of goalkeepers, as well as the broader trajectory of women’s soccer.

The hosts trace the massive money moves shaping sports, spotlighting shifts in viewership, advertising, team ownership strategy, and athlete marketability across both men’s and women’s competitions.

Key Discussions & Insights

1. Women’s Sports and Brand Partnerships

Guest: Sarah Goffinson, CEO, Trailblazing Sports Group
(Segment begins 03:17)

Growth and Opportunity in Women’s Sports

• Trailblazing Sports Group’s Mission:
  Sarah Goffinson discusses transitioning from ESPN brand partnerships to founding a boutique firm focused solely on women’s sports.

  “I really believe in the power of the purse and the power of brand marketers to really impact the growth of women’s sports.” (03:28, Goffinson)

• Brands Leaning In:
  Growth in brands’ willingness to sponsor women’s sports, starting with key initiatives like the creation of the WNBA studio show with Google and the “Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi MegaCast” with AT&T.

  “I really was seeing some signals of brands wanting to lean in, and I wanted the opportunity to just work with brands across the ecosystem.” (04:46, Goffinson)

• Innovative Advertising Inventory:
  Trailblazing leverages streaming’s dominance among women’s sports fans to create context-driven in-game ad opportunities (picture-in-picture, ad “L-bars,” etc.)

  “We create incremental in-game inventory for advertisers around the biggest moments in women's sports…if an advertiser wants to target every three point shot within the WNBA, or serve a picture-in-picture in the game…” (06:40, Goffinson)

The Undervalued Potential and Historical Perspective

• Lasting Undervaluation:
  Despite a projected 2-3x growth in valuation ($1B to $2.25B by 2030), women’s sports remain undercapitalized compared to men’s franchises.

  “Women's sports are still very undervalued. There's a tremendous opportunity for brands and companies to increase the value they put towards it.” (11:10, Goffinson)

• Historical “Trailblazers”:
  Billie Jean King is hailed as the original trailblazer, with her legacy shaping today’s athletes and serving as inspiration for Goffinson’s own company name.

  “Billie Jean is the ultimate trailblazer... She founded the Women's Sports Foundation with her check from her first equal paycheck.” (10:30, Goffinson)

• The Growth Cycle:
  Briana Scurry’s perspective—echoed by Goffinson—notes that women’s sports are at the start of another boom cycle, paralleling the surge tied to consecutive Men’s/Women’s World Cups and Olympics in the late 1990s.

  “It’s going to be just the same as it was back then… it’s going to double from that momentum.” (12:44, Perdomo quoting Scurry)

2. Soccer’s Goalkeepers: The Unsung Heroes

Guest: Briana Scurry, Hall of Fame Goalkeeper
(Segment begins 18:02)

Goalkeeping’s Lack of Spotlight

• Star Power Gap:
  Scurry highlights that goalkeepers are often underappreciated compared to goal scorers, both in media and sponsorship attention.

  “America and I think the world, likes goal scorers—and not too fond of those of us who try to stop goals…” (18:28, Scurry)

• Media Dynamics:
  Even with championship performances, keepers rarely achieve household-name status unless they also possess a compelling personal story or headline-grabbing personality (e.g., Hope Solo).

  “A lot of my friends who are casual fans don’t really know who Alyssa Naeher is by name... Do you think that’s on the media side?” (24:15, Perdomo) “She was greatly overshadowed by Alex Morgan, by Megan Rapinoe... but she is a brilliant goalkeeper. We’ve been very blessed with great goalkeeping here for decades.” (25:20, Scurry)

1999 World Cup: A Transformative Moment

• Building the Audience from Scratch:
  The 1999 Women's World Cup was originally meant for small stadiums; the team had to market the sport personally before eventually playing for sellout crowds.

  “We literally went door to door for two years, selling our game… So then when we finally got to play our first game... in front of 76,000 people, it was truly a dream come true.” (19:41, Scurry)

• Media Evolution:
  1996 Olympics offered minimal broadcast for women’s soccer, while the 1999 final became a nationally televised event, majorly boosting visibility.

  “They didn’t show our game live, even though we had 76,000 people in the stands and we were favored to win… By the time 99 rolled around, they decided 'hey, maybe we should show the whole game once in a while.'” (21:37, Scurry)

• Cultural Impact:
  The success of the 1996 Olympics and 1999 World Cup forged a permanent shift in the perception of women’s sports teams.

  “It truly was [the] year of the woman... that Olympic Games was the year of the woman. It truly was.” (21:54, Scurry)

Branding, Longevity & Keeper Value

• Brand Opportunity:
  Scurry actively makes the case to brands that goalkeepers exemplify strength, leadership, longevity, and should be natural endorsers for teamwork, reliability, and trailblazing.

  “If you’re a company that wants to talk about strength or teamwork or camaraderie or leadership, goalkeepers are all those things wrapped into one.” (28:10, Scurry)

• Keeper Dominance in USWNT:
  Only three starting USWNT keepers over 30 years. Stability and impact indicate that keepers can offer exceptional value and endorsement continuity for sponsors.

Memorable Quotes

• Scurry:

  “At one point in time, if you go back in time and look at every single team that’s won a world championship or Olympic championship, at one point in time in that run, the goalkeeper had the team on their shoulders.” (28:09)

• Perdomo:

  “If I was a brand… I would invest in a player who’s going to be in that seat for 10 years.” (27:39)

3. MLB World Series Recap & Business Landscape

Guest: Al Leiter, MLB Analyst, 2x World Series Champ
(Segment begins 33:33)

Dodgers’ Dominance and Payroll Dynamics

• Dodgers’ Back-to-Back Titles:
  The Dodgers defeat the Blue Jays in a closely-fought series, showcasing their rotation depth and strategic use of star Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

  “Yamamoto did Game 6, 6 innings, 100 pitches... and the next day... pitches three innings. It’s beyond comprehension. He deserved the MVP.” (34:11–34:51, Leiter)

• The “Evil Empire” Question:
  Discussion around whether LA has joined the Yankees as modern “villains,” given their massive payroll and consistent success.

  “I think it’s great for the sport and all sports to have a villain... their payroll was over $400 million.” (36:16, Leiter) “There’s a correlation [between spending and winning]... I love the fact that Mark Walter, the owner of this team, they put money in the payroll, they put money in the team, and guess what? They got rewarded.” (36:21, Leiter)

Japanese Talent Reshaping the Game

• Significant influx of top Japanese players (Yamamoto, Okamoto, Imai, Sasaki) powering not just team wins but broadcast/merchandise reach in Asia.

  “If there’s a cornering of the best Japanese talent with one respective team... it would be disappointing… There’s talented players all around the world.” (38:02–39:07, Leiter)

Expansion & Media Rights Future

• MLB Expansion Markets:
  Realignment and franchise expansion possibilities (Nashville, Salt Lake, Vegas, Charlotte, etc.). Leiter is bullish on Nashville as the next great baseball city.

  “If [Nashville] doesn’t get an expansion team, I think they missed the boat on that.” (40:54, Leiter)

• Media Rights & Realignment:
  Looming changes as national TV contracts expire; potential realignment (Yankees/Mets in same division).

  “They got to figure out how to nationalize... the TV package... I think there’s going to be a realignment to have the Yankees and Mets in the same division.” (41:54, Leiter)

Moneyball vs. Deep Pockets

• Every Team Chasing the Ideal Model:
  While owners try to mimic the Tampa Bay Rays/Guardians’ success on small budgets, big spenders still rule postseasons.

  “A lot of the owners want the model of the Tampa Bay Rays... but extrapolating data and analytics... they really are [all following similar models].” (44:57, Leiter)

Notable Quotes & Moments

• “You had like, alright, we don’t like them and we’re gonna go after them…that’s great for sports.” (36:21, Leiter)
• “I think Nashville would be a golden ticket for whoever gets that franchise and for Major League Baseball…” (40:06, Leiter)
• “I'm going to say [the Dodgers] are probably the favorite [for 2026]... you have an ownership group that will continue to spend.” (43:08, Leiter)

Important Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment / Highlight | |-----------|--------------------| | 03:17 | Sarah Goffinson on brand partnerships in women's sports | | 06:40 | In-game digital ad innovation for streaming women’s sports | | 10:30 | Billie Jean King’s influence & the underestimated growth of women’s sports | | 12:44 | Parallel cycles in women’s sports growth (Scurry’s perspective) | | 18:02 | Briana Scurry interview begins: The undervalued role of goalkeepers | | 19:41 | Behind-the-scenes of marketing the 1999 Women’s World Cup | | 21:37 | Gaps and shifts in media coverage for women’s soccer | | 24:15 | Why keepers rarely become household names—media and marketability | | 28:10 | The value of keepers to brands and team success | | 33:33 | World Series recap with Al Leiter | | 34:11 | Yamamoto’s record postseason performance | | 36:16 | Dodgers as the new “evil empire”—sports needs a villain| | 38:02 | Japanese pipeline to MLB and the sport’s globalization | | 40:06 | MLB expansion: Nashville, Salt Lake, Vegas in play | | 41:54 | Looming media rights shift, potential new divisional structures | | 44:57 | Moneyball vs. big market payrolls—who really wins? |

Notable Quotes (with Attribution)

• Sarah Goffinson:
  “If [brands] can fuel athletes and can fuel the growth in teams and leagues, the ecosystem will be better for it.” (05:34)
• Briana Scurry:
  “At one point in time… the goalkeeper had the team on their shoulders. If you don't have strong defensive goalkeeping, then you're not going to win.” (28:09)
• Al Leiter:
  “I like that. I like the fact [of having] a villain. It’s great for the sport and all sports...” (36:16)

Episode Tone & Language

The episode is conversational, sometimes playful but deeply knowledgeable with each expert and host bringing both lived experience and analytical sharpness. There is a strong sense of advocacy—for women’s sports and for a data- and business-driven understanding of modern athletics—without losing sight of the cultural moments and personalities that make sports memorable.

Conclusion

This rich episode offers both sports fans and business insiders a compelling look inside the evolving landscape of sports investment and audience engagement. It covers how legacy moments shape today’s opportunities (both in women’s soccer and baseball), the transformative potential of smart partnership and innovation, and underlines the crucial role of narrative, identity, and market forces in shaping what—and who—gets noticed on the world stage.