"Example of women carrying the sports industry" - Serena Williams' husband Alexis Ohanian praises Taylor Swift for helping boost NFL's TV ratings

Serena Williams' husband and Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian has lauded Taylor Swift for her role in bolstering the NFL's television ratings. The ratings experienced a substantial surge during Sunday night's (October 1) game featuring the Kansas City Chiefs and the New York Jets.

Swift was present at the game, supporting her rumored new boyfriend and Kansas City Chiefs star Travis Kelce. Kansas City, the defending Super Bowl champions, emerged victorious with a 23-20 win, thanks to a game-changing field goal by Harrison Butker in the fourth quarter followed by a subsequent mishandled snap by Zach Wilson.

On Monday, October 2, NBC, the broadcasting network for the game, announced that the fixture had attracted an impressive average of 27 million viewers. The remarkable viewership surpassed any previous Sunday game since Super Bowl LVII. Furthermore, the game managed to draw in an additional two million female viewers, potentially influenced by the presence of Taylor Swift.

Alexis Ohanian, who has consistently been a prominent advocate for women's sports, took to social media and stated that the mega pop star's presence influencing the increase in viewership of the match between the Kansas City Chiefs and the New York Jets is another example why women are important for the sports industry.

"Another example of women carrying the sports industry 😄 Attention is everything," Ohanian posted on X.

"Not just racism & sexism; a legacy of gross business incompetence" - Alexis Ohanian on the underinvestment in women's sports

Alexis Ohanian speaking to the press

Alexis Ohanian cited business incompetence as the primary factor contributing to inadequate investment in women's sports.

Ohanian has made an investment of $100 million in Angel City FC, a start-up club that joined the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) in 2022. The tech entrepreneur's decision to invest in the club was largely influenced by his daughter Olympia.

Angel City FC already boast several high-profile celebrity investors, including Serena Williams, Natalie Portman, Eva Longoria, Jennifer Garner, Uzo Aduba, and Jessica Chastain.

During a conversation with Bloomberg Quicktake, Alexis Ohanian outlined the factors that contribute to the insufficient investment in women's sports.

According to him, the root cause of the issue is the low expectations that people have for women's sports. Ohanian went on to explain that underinvestment over the last few decades cannot be solely attributed to racism and sexism but also to business incompetence.

"I mean it’s the curse of low expectations," Alexis Ohanian said. "When we look back on the legacy of underinvestment in the last, call it 50 years, it will not just be a legacy of sexism and racism, which it is. It'll be a legacy of gross business incompetence."

When questioned about strategies for establishing a brand in women's sports, the 40-year-old highlighted the significance of nurturing a devoted global fan base. Moreover, Ohanian stressed the crucial role of consistently elevating brand partnerships.

"You build a rabid, dogged fan base all over the world. You continue to raise the bar on brand partnerships. You continue to demonstrate the value," Alexis Ohanian said. "Women's sports fans are such amazing supporters because they’ll buy into the brands that are partnered with the clubs. Right? I mean there’s real value there."