When Jacie deHoop, Com’14, co-founder and head of revenue for The Gist, began her journey in sports media with an idea to appeal to a more diverse audience in 2018, it was a hard sell. But, together with her fellow Queen’s alumnae Ellen Hyslop, Com’14, and Roslyn McLarty, Com'14, she has created a media property that now reaches 600,000 fans across North America.
It’s a number that validates the premise of The Gist, which aims to make accessible and inclusive sports content for underserved fans in a media environment that has traditionally been created by, and targeted toward, men.
Unlike many other recent sports media startups, The Gist has shied away from the subscription-based model so many other publications rely on for revenue. It was a decision deHoop and her colleagues believed in because it aligned with their mission of creating more accessible sports content.
"There's just a lot of fans out there that aren't going to want to pay for certain sports content, especially when it's traditionally never felt like it's been created for them. Our ethos is that sports are for everyone and there shouldn't be barriers in place to accessing fun, engaging sports content,” deHoop says.
It took a while for brand partners to see the potential of their vision. For deHoop, who worked in consulting before making the switch to sports, the parallels in both industries proved vital. Working in financial services consulting gave her experience navigating an industry that was traditionally male dominated but also provided an advantage when it came launching a startup and looking for brand partnerships. As its grown, The Gist has secured agreements with heavyweight sporting properties such as Under Armour, Nike, the National Basketball Association, and FanDuel. A successful $1-million financing round in April 2021 is a sign that the disruption they were hoping to create is being embraced more broadly.
As The Gist continues to expand, deHoop and company look to subscribers for new content ideas and revenue streams. “We’re always asking our audience what interests them most,” she explains. It’s the type of subscriber relationship that helps keep The Gist focused on its original vision: leveling the playing field for women sports fans.
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