That includes changing the way media buys work in sports. According to Correnti, currency and reach in their current state are broken and need to evolve.
“We need to look at things like fan engagement,” Correnti said. “If the media companies aren’t leading with that data, and we keep defaulting to the standard currencies, this is never going to change.”
Deep Blue will announce its leadership team and founding clients on the other side of the holiday season, and its work will be visible as early as the first quarter. The firm plans to have a presence at the Super Bowl, the women’s Final Four in Cleveland, the NWSL kickoff, WNBA tip-off, the Paris Olympics and Cannes Lions. Also look for the return of the Business of Women’s Sports Summit, tentatively set for April 2024.
“We’re going aggressively at the space because the space warrants it,” Correnti said. “Deep Blue isn’t getting into this solely because we’re passionate about women’s sports. This is a massive emerging business opportunity, and we’re only just scratching the surface.”
An international affair
Including athlete voices is a priority for Deep Blue, which is launching an Athlete Advisory Council to support the firm’s clients. Founding members include Rennae Stubbs, an ESPN commentator and former professional tennis player; Shasta Averyhardt, a professional golfer and media influencer; Melanie Jones OAM, a former Australian Cricket player and international cricket commentator; and Melissa Ortiz, an Olympian and former professional soccer player turned broadcaster, influencer and entrepreneur—with more names to be announced.
“I had multiple conversations with some of the top athletes—retired, active, collegiate, etc.—to really uncover what are advertisers missing?” said Correnti. “What would it look like if you could actually bring athletes to the table?”
The firm is also building an international affiliate network to support brand marketers investing in women’s sports globally, with Game On as the first affiliate partner, led by Jones and Staples, based in Australia.
“Teaming up with Deep Blue excites us to no end and provides an elite cohort of women across sport and business that has a razor-sharp focus on what women’s sport specifically needs, as well as the capabilities of challenging the current system and decision makers,” said Jones and Staples on the launch of the partnership.
Correnti hopes to have onboarded an additional two to three continents by the end of 2024 and plans to be worldwide by the end of 2025, heading into the next World Cup and Olympic cycle, with a full plan through the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
Deep Blue is intentionally described as a firm versus an agency, despite launching with agency services at its core. While its first vertical and current priority is women’s sports, it will be moving into production, and Correnti sees a future that includes commerce, M&A and venture.
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