Opportunities to bet on women’s college hoops lag

Summary

Marketplace Morning Report: Opportunities to Bet on Women’s College Hoops Lag Release Date: March 25, 2025

In this episode of Marketplace Morning Report, host David Brancaccio navigates a diverse array of economic and business topics, culminating in an insightful discussion on the burgeoning yet underserved market of women’s college basketball betting. Below is a detailed summary of the key segments covered:

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1. U.S. Imposes Fees on Chinese-Built Cargo Ships

David Brancaccio opens the episode by discussing the Trump administration's recent proposal to levy fees on cargo ships built in China that dock at U.S. ports. This move aims to bolster the American shipbuilding industry but has met opposition from various industry leaders.

• Nova Safo highlights the potential financial impact: “Fees could be as high as $3 million per vessel. They're an attempt to counter state-subsidized Chinese shipbuilding” (01:01).

• Michele Acharo, a maritime shipping specialist, underscores the broader implications: “Targeting ships that are built in China... makes the availability of those ships... more expensive” (01:20).

The proposed fees have garnered support from American steel workers' unions and steelmakers but face criticism for possibly escalating global trade costs. Acharo questions the policy's efficacy: “I don't see what's the value or the benefits of that” (01:43), while Nova Safo warns of increased shipping costs for American goods (01:55).

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2. U.S. Infrastructure Receives a "C" Grade in 2025 Report Card

The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) released its 2025 report card, awarding U.S. infrastructure an overall grade of C, a slight improvement from the previous C−.

Nancy Marshall Genser provides an overview: “The grade is up from a C minus in the last report four years ago” (02:21). She attributes this progress to investments from the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, which funded drinking water, stormwater management, climate change initiatives, and clean energy projects.

However, Genser emphasizes a substantial funding gap: “There's a funding gap of more than $3 trillion” needed to fully upgrade infrastructure (02:21). While certain categories like ports and roads saw improvements, others such as energy and rail infrastructure received lower grades (02:21).

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3. Service Businesses Grapple with Policy Uncertainty

A new report from the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia reveals that over 90% of service sector businesses believe current policy uncertainties will negatively impact their operations.

Larry Adam, Chief Investment Officer at Raymond James, elaborates: “93% of those people that were surveyed say that uncertainty is constraining their business activities going forward” (03:37). He warns that pervasive uncertainty can paralyze decision-making, potentially leading to reduced spending and economic softness (03:37).

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4. Surge in Home Prices Amid Economic Shifts

The episode touches on a significant rise in home prices, with a 4.1% increase from December to January. Cities like New York, Chicago, Boston, San Francisco, and Tampa saw notable gains, although some markets reported slight declines according to the S&P Case-Shiller Foreign Index.

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**5. Opportunities to Bet on Women’s College Hoops Lag

The centerpiece of this episode revolves around the expanding yet still limited landscape of betting on women's college basketball. David Brancaccio highlights that Americans are projected to wager over $3 billion on March Madness this year, marking a 15% increase from the previous year. A portion of this growth is attributed to increased betting on the women's tournament.

Christopher Bowen recounts last year's NCAA women's final: “In last year's NCAA women's final, superstar Caitlin Clark's Iowa Hawkeyes faced an undefeated South Carolina team” (05:19). The matchup not only captivated fans but also set a record for the most bets placed on a women's sporting event, boosted by extensive promotion (05:27).

Victor Matheson, an economist at the College of the Holy Cross, comments on the emerging opportunities: “That's an indicator of the increasing value sports betting companies see in women's college basketball and women's sports more broadly” (06:02). However, he notes the persistent challenges: “there's a lot more people out there who maybe are willing to put a first time bet down on the Phoenix Mercury to win the W NBA title” (06:02).

Alicia Jessup, a sports business expert at Pepperdine University, identifies a significant marketing gap: “If you live in the United States, you have seen a commercial for a sports book... that advertisement featured a male athlete” (06:42). She argues that investing in marketing for women's sports could yield substantial returns and attract new bettors.

Megan Chaika from Stathleets emphasizes the strategic advantage for growing leagues: “sports wagering can be a tool to attract more eyeballs” (07:04). Jessup also highlights potential downsides, such as increased bad fan behavior, stressing the need for leagues to protect athletes as betting markets expand (07:19).

Overall, while there is promising growth in betting on women's college basketball, legal restrictions and limited promotional efforts continue to hinder its full potential.

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6. Personal Finance Insights

Concluding the episode, Janelie Espinal promotes her podcast, Financially Inclined, which focuses on practical personal finance skills. Topics include negotiating job offers, managing money in relationships, entrepreneurship, and handling student loans, aimed at empowering listeners to build their financial futures (08:01).

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This episode of Marketplace Morning Report offers a comprehensive look at current economic challenges and emerging opportunities, with a special focus on the untapped potential in women's college basketball betting. Through expert interviews and insightful analysis, listeners gain a nuanced understanding of how policy decisions, infrastructure investments, market uncertainties, and shifting consumer behaviors are shaping the business landscape in 2025.

Transcript

[David Brancaccio]

Hi there, Marketplace's David Brancaccio here. If we've learned anything in the first months of 2025 here, it's that we don't exactly know what is coming next or how it will impact the economy and everyone who is part of it. As always, Marketplace is focused on covering each new development in ways that are meaningful and relevant to you. It's our March fundraiser. Now please help us plan for an uncertain future by donating today. We need to know that you're with us. Go to marketplace.org donate made in America brings opportunity and costs Today, a lesson from the building of cargo ships. I'm David Brancaccio in Los Angeles. The Trump administration wants to impose fees on Made in China cargo ships that dock at U.S. ports. The idea is to help the American shipbuilding industry. But yesterday the US Trade representative got an earful from industries that say look at the costs marketplaces. NovaSafo has that the Trump administration's proposed.

[Nova Safo]

Fees could be as high as $3 million per vessel. They're an attempt to counter state subsidized Chinese shipbuilding. American steel workers unions and steel makers support the idea, but there are likely to be big consequences for global trade. Michele Acharo specializes in maritime shipping at the Copenhagen Business School.

[Michele Acharo]

Targeting ships that are built in China, of course, has an impact because it makes the availability of those ships, which are really the workhorses of international trade, more expensive.

[Nova Safo]

American industry leaders told the U.S. trade Representative the same thing at a hearing yesterday. They said the proposed fees would increase the costs of American goods being shipped overseas.

[Michele Acharo]

Certainly the final result of any policy imposed unilaterally by the US Would be an increase in the cost of trade for the United States. And I don't see what's the value or the benefits of that.

[Nova Safo]

Meanwhile, American cargo ship operators warn they could suffer because they too rely on Chinese made vessels. I'm novasafa for Marketplace.

[David Brancaccio]

It says something when it's cause for celebration when we get a middling C. The American Society of Civil Engineers released its 2025 report card for infrastructure today. The US shows improvement, but there's a lot of work to be done. Here's Marketplace's Nancy Marshall Genser.

[Nancy Marshall Genser]

The American Society of Civil Engineers gives our infrastructure an overall grade of C. That's up from a C minus in the last report four years ago. The group says that improvement shows investments from the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs act and the 2022 Inflation Reduction act paid off. That legislation also includes money to improve drinking and stormwater infrastructure, plus other climate change and clean energy projects. President Trump has paused much of the funding for those law. The American Society of Civil Engineers report says. Even with that money, though, there's a funding gap of more than $3 trillion between current infrastructure investments and what needs to be done to get infrastructure up to speed. 8 categories the group measures improved, including ports, levees, parks and roads. But energy and rail got lower grades this year. I'm Nancy Marshall Genser for Marketplace.

[David Brancaccio]

More than nine out of 10 service businesses think all the uncertainty over policy these days will hurt their. This is from a new report this morning out of the Federal Reserve bank of Philadelphia. Some spell uncertainty tariff, but that's just one part. Larry Adam is chief investment officer at Raymond James.

[Larry Adam]

We continue to see uncertainty within the market. In fact, in that survey specifically, 93% of those people that were surveyed say that uncertainty is constraining their business activities going forward. And one of the things that we continue to see is that when you have uncertainty out there, it tends to paralyze decision making. And that's one of the risks we have to continue to watch because if everybody continues to pull back spending at the same time, that's something that could cause us some softness in the economy.

[David Brancaccio]

Again, this is service sector, not even manufacturing firms. Larry Adams is with the investment firm Raymond James, which is a Marketplace underwriter. There's news today. Home prices went up 4.1% December to January, slightly up from December. New York was the most. Chicago and Boston pretty close. San Francisco and Tampa. Home prices were down, according to S. And P. Case Shiller Foreign.

[Savannah Peters]

If you want to be savvy about the economy, the Marketplace newsletter is just what you need. Every Friday, you'll get explainers and analysis that make sense of everything from the moving markets to grocery prices. No jargon, no hype, just smart takes delivered to your inbox. Sign up [e-mail] subscribe.

[David Brancaccio]

Americans are expected to put down more than $3 billion betting on March Madness this year, up 15% over last year. At least some of the increase comes from more betting on the women's college basketball tournament. But legal avenues to bet on women's sports still lag behind. Marketplace's Savannah Peters has more.

[Christopher Bowen]

In last year's NCAA women's final, superstar Caitlin Clark's Iowa Hawkeyes faced an undefeated South Carolina team.

[Larry Adam]

Perfection.

[David Brancaccio]

With a touch of sweet redemption. South Carolina has won.

[Christopher Bowen]

That drama helped it break the record for the most bet on women's sporting event ever, plus plenty of promotion.

[Victor Matheson]

The big sports books are putting out prop bets so you could bet on over unders on player totals, whether it be points, rebounds, things like that.

[Christopher Bowen]

Christopher Bowen with betting information site Gambling.com says that's an indicator of the increasing value sports betting companies see in women's college basketball and women's sports more broadly.

[Victor Matheson]

Because that's where the growth is. There's only so many more NFL betters you can get, there's only so many more MLB betters, et cetera, that you can get, whereas there's a lot more people out there who maybe are willing to put a first time bet down on the Phoenix Mercury to win the W NBA title.

[Christopher Bowen]

So there's been healthy growth, but you'll still have a harder time finding legal opportunities to wager on your favorite women athletes and teams, says Victor Matheson, an economist at the College of the Holy Cross. Especially outside of high profile tournaments and championship games, you're not going to see.

[David Brancaccio]

The same level of participation among the big sports books for the for the men versus the women.

[Alicia Jessup]

I think it's a huge missed opportunity.

[Christopher Bowen]

Alicia Jessup is an expert on the business of sports at Pepperdine University. She says there's a marketing gap at play.

[Alicia Jessup]

Very likely, if you live in the United States, you have seen a commercial for a sports book, and I'm willing to bet you that that advertisement featured a male athlete, jessup says.

[Christopher Bowen]

Companies willing to make bolder investments in reaching women's sports fans could see a big return. And for growing leagues, sports wagering can be a tool to attract more eyeballs, says Megan Chaika with the sports data analytics firm Stathleets.

[Alicia Jessup]

If you made a small wager on a game, you're far more likely to return in the fourth quarter, even in a blowout, versus like an average fan, right, that just flicks their TV off.

[Christopher Bowen]

More viewers means more ad and sponsorship dollars and lucrative deals for players. But Alicia Jessup at Pepperdine says high stakes can also increase bad fan behavior, like player harassment. As betting markets grow, she says, leagues have a responsibility to protect athletes. I'm Savannah Peters for Marketplace, and in.

[David Brancaccio]

Los Angeles, I'm David Brancaccio. You're listening to the Marketplace Morning Report from APM American Public Media.

[Janelie Espinal]

Consumer confidence had its sharpest monthly decline since 2021, which means we're all in our feels about money. And while uncertainty is the only constant these days, it's also a great reason to get serious about understanding personal finance. I'm Janelie Espinal, host of Financially Inclined, a podcast from Marketplace that makes learning about money simple. Learn about practical skills like negotiating job offers, dealing with money in friendship and love, entrepreneurship and student loans. Get serious about your money and build a life you've always dreamed of. Listen to financially inclined wherever you get your podcasts.