This National Girls and Women in Sports Day (NGWSD), women's sports talent management firm Always Alpha - a subsidiary of leading entertainment marketing, production and content development company Dolphin (NASDAQ:DLPN) - and women's sports marketing firm Deep Blue Sports + Entertainment announced that the companies are joining forces to further elevate the industry by strategically merging resources to create the largest firm dedicated to supporting female athletes and commercial partners in women's sports.
This first-of-its-kind joint venture dedicated to women in sports combines the unique expertise of Always Alpha, backed by Dolphin and its portfolio of best-in-class communications companies, and Deep Blue - supported by investment from independent, integrated agency Giant Spoon. The venture is driven by a team of industry leaders: Always Alpha's co-founders, the most decorated American track and field Olympian of all time Allyson Felix alongside CEO Cosette Chaput, as well as Deep Blue's founder and CEO Laura Correnti.
Together, this new entity has signed some of the world's top female football talent to manage and represent their commercial interests, effective immediately. This roster includes Always Alpha client Temwa Chawinga (Malawi, Kansas City Current) and Deep Blue Sports + Entertainment clients Barbra Banda (Zambia, Orlando Pride) and Niamh Charles (England, Chelsea F.C.). The firms are actively engaging with leading brand marketers to create, develop and activate innovative partnerships and address business needs through their newly combined services. They will also be partnering together at Deep Blue's annual Business of Women's Sports Summit on April 22 in New York City, as well as at the Women's Sports House during the Cannes Lions Festival.
"In an industry too often defined by competition, we're breaking new ground with a first-of-its-kind collaboration to drive real change for women in sports," said Chaput. "Laura has set the standard in branding and advertising, built upon a shared vision - unlocking the limitless potential of the women's sports industry and revolutionizing outdated business models that were never designed for the dynamic talent we represent. Joining forces to usher in the next chapter of women's sports marketing isn't simply great business - it's a perfect alignment of purpose and values."
"This joint venture represents a new era in women's sports," added Correnti. "By developing the first full-service firm intentionally designed to transform all aspects of the industry, Deep Blue and Always Alpha offer unprecedented strategic and operational services for those shaping the future of the women's sports industry, on and off the field. We intend to become the world leader in building strategies and brokering commercial partnerships that deliver ROI and supercharge the business of women's sports across the entire ecosystem."
Founded in 2024 by Olympic legend and women's rights advocate Felix and standout sports executive Chaput, Always Alpha is reimagining modern talent management to move beyond dated, transactional management models that were not built for today's multifaceted women. The first-of-its-kind sports management firm fully focused on women's sports has quickly attracted world-class talent - including Olympic gold medalists Kristen Faulkner (cycling) and Kelsey Robinson Cook (volleyball) - who are changing the game on and off the field of play. Always Alpha was established to support and strengthen the success of the industry's leading athletes, broadcasters, coaches and changemakers who are breaking barriers, owning their voices and creating a better future through marketing, media, entrepreneurship, venture, entertainment and impact endeavors.
Founded in 2023, Deep Blue exists to identify, inform and influence business models and growth opportunities in women's sports, and is led by award-winning executive Correnti as CEO and Founder with WNBA legend Sue Bird as Partner. Unlike other sports firms, Deep Blue was the first in the world to focus exclusively on the commercial opportunities in women's sports - and its innovative team structure includes media and marketing practitioners working alongside active and retired professional athletes to ensure brands have first-person perspective when building their women's sport marketing strategies and brand messaging. With agency services as a core offering, Deep Blue continues to bolster and expand its capabilities across strategy, media investment, creative and experiential to support brands, leagues and teams in developing their positioning and go-to-market approach.
The joint effort will enable both firms to offer complementary commercial strategy, deal development, category creation and industry thought leadership services - providing an unprecedented and simple solution for both brands and talent in women's sports to connect and grow.
Always Alpha and Deep Blue will celebrate the announcement at an exclusive Super Bowl luncheon on Feb. 8 in New Orleans.
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ABOUT DEEP BLUE
As a woman-owned company founded in 2023, Deep Blue is the world's first firm exclusively dedicated to driving more commercial investment and business opportunities in women's sports.
Recognized by Sports Business Journal as a Women's Sports Power Player in just its first year in business, Deep Blue's team includes media, marketing and advertising practitioners working alongside an Athlete Advisory Council comprised of professional female athletes to ensure brands have a first-person perspective when building their women's sports-focused marketing strategies and brand messaging.
Led by Founder and CEO Laura Correnti, Deep Blue's services include full-service agency capabilities for brands, strategic positioning and partnership development for teams and leagues, and best-in-class thought leadership programs and IP development. The firm produces the annual Business of Women's Sports Summit along with co-managing the Women's Sports Audio Network in partnership with iHeartMedia.
ABOUT ALWAYS ALPHA
Always Alpha is a modern talent management firm fully focused on the limitless potential of women's sports. Founded by Olympic legend Allyson Felix, led by CEO Cosette Chaput and powered by Dolphin (NASDAQ:DLPN), the first-of-its-kind firm is designed to elevate athletes, broadcasters, coaches and change-makers who are breaking barriers, owning their voices and creating a better future on and off the field of play.
ABOUT DOLPHIN
Dolphin (NASDAQ:DLPN), founded in 1996 by Bill O'Dowd, has evolved from its origins as an Emmy-nominated television, digital and feature film content producer to a company with three dynamic divisions: Dolphin Entertainment, Dolphin Marketing and Dolphin Ventures.
Dolphin Entertainment: This legacy division, where it all began, has a rich history of producing acclaimed television shows, digital content and feature films. With high-profile partners like IMAX and notable projects including "The Blue Angels," Dolphin Entertainment continues to set the standard in quality storytelling and innovative content creation.
Dolphin Marketing: Established in 2017, this division has become a powerhouse in public relations, influencer marketing, management, branding strategy, talent booking and special events. Comprising top-tier companies such as 42West, The Door, Shore Fire Media, Special Projects, The Digital Dept., Elle Communications and now Always Alpha, Dolphin Marketing serves a wide range of industries - from entertainment, music and sports to hospitality, fashion and consumer products.
Dolphin Ventures: This division leverages Dolphin's best-in-class cross-marketing acumen and business development relationships to create, launch and/or accelerate innovative ideas and promising products, events and content in our areas of expertise.
ABOUT GIANT SPOON
Giant Spoon is an independent, integrated agency that expands the ways people experience brands. As a two-time honoree on Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies list including being named No. 1 in its Advertising category, Giant Spoon is known for turning marketing upside down. Obsessed with culture and driven by insatiable curiosity, the agency blends teams across creative, media and strategy to stir shit up for ambitious brands. By leveraging its award-winning process, Giant Spoon has created transformative work for companies like Autodesk, GE, Google Play, HBO, HP, Lucid Motors, MassMutual, Netflix, Reddit, Walmart and more.
This press release contains 'forward-looking statements' within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act. These forward-looking statements may address, among other things, Dolphin Entertainment Inc.'s offering of common stock as well as expected financial and operational results and the related assumptions underlying its expected results. These forward-looking statements are distinguished by the use of words such as "will," "would," "anticipate," "expect," "believe," "designed," "plan," or "intend," the negative of these terms, and similar references to future periods. These views involve risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict and, accordingly, Dolphin Entertainment's actual results may differ materially from the results discussed in its forward-looking statements. Dolphin Entertainment's forward-looking statements contained herein speak only as of the date of this press release. Factors or events Dolphin Entertainment cannot predict, including those described in the risk factors contained in its filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, may cause its actual results to differ from those expressed in forward-looking statements. Although Dolphin Entertainment believes the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, it can give no assurance that its expectations will be achieved, and Dolphin Entertainment undertakes no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by applicable law.
CONTACT
Rebecca Shapiro
President
Shore Fire Media
rshapiro@shorefire.com
Nicole Ryan
VP, Communications
Deep Blue Sports + Entertainment
press@deepbluesportsent.com
Jaclyn D. Carter
Senior Vice President
Shore Fire Media
jcarter@shorefire.com
James Carbonara
Hayden IR
(646)-755-7412
james@haydenir.com
SOURCE: Dolphin Entertainment
