Anjali Kumaran admits she was never much of a sports fan.
What is it encourages her to venture outside of her cozy Portland neighborhood and into Sullivans Gulch so regularly?
A seat at The Sports Bra, Americas first sports bar 100% dedicated to womens sports.
A group gathers at the Rough & Tumble pub in Seattle.
Theres a family vibe, Kumaran smiles.
The main reason I wasnt interested in sports was because I wasnt exposed to womens sports, she adds.
The story is all too true for most Americans.
Inside The Sports Bra in Portland, Oregon.
Thats all about to change.
Before April 2022, public spaces to watch televised womens sports across the United States were virtually non-existent.
The Sports Bra changed that.
Jenny Nguyen, founder of The Sports Bra.
Jenny Nguyen, founder of The Sports Bra.
Earlier this month,A Bar of Their Ownopened in Minneapolis.
People are no longer accepting it.
Game night at Rough & Tumble in Seattle.
People are no longer okay with having to ask and beg to be recognized, says Hiscock.
Were doing our best to highlight these women athletes and so were creating our own spaces.
Were creating places that are the places that weve wanted to exist, that didnt exist without us.
Inside The Sports Bra.
Its a long time coming.
The latter is an ongoing challenge for all womens sports bar owners.
you could’t just turn on ESPN and put on whatevers there.
Nguyen with customers at The Sports Bra.
You have to really think about it, says Jen Barnes, owner of Seattles Rough & Tumble.
(If its even televised at all.)
Its really frustrating how difficult we make it for people to watch womens sports.
And weve had incredible progress.
Game night at Rough & Tumble in Seattle.
Much-needed improvements are coming.
In 2024, 118 NWSL games will be broadcast, a major increase from 30 broadcast windows in 2023.
In comparison, MLB season, which overlaps with the women’s soccer season, broadcasts 2430 games.
Frustration when seeking womens games to screen year-round is a recurring issue.
AtIcarus Wings & Thingsin Salem, Oregon, co-owner Kelli Gilliland prioritizes showing womens games.
People just dont realize how unlikely it is to find womens sports [playing in a bar].
Once guests are aware of the fact its intentional, though, theyre usually placated.
We want to be a space where we are not excluding anybody, Gilliland adds.
People who dont know about these things are also welcome.
People havent had much opportunity to watch in a social setting and were building an audience.
Inside The Sports Bra.
She finally found a few spots that were open to it, but they closed during the pandemic.
Theres nothing like being around other sports fans, Garcia says.
Theres so much excitement.
It makes me so emotional to see how much womens sports has grown.
The community lured Garcias girlfriend, Felicia Fitzpatrick, 32, as a new but enthusiastic WNBA fan.
The fact that the players and fans are majority women, and queer women, helps.
Im not a competitive person, I hate that someone has to lose, Fitzpatrick says.
But I love the vibe.
When we have more viewers, it gains attention.
The excuse of not being able to watch isnt going to be an excuse any more.
Theres a lot of momentum to get behind.
Nguyen with customers at The Sports Bra.
She remembers the absolute dearth of womens sports coverage before streaming and sees plenty of room for continued growth.
Jenny created the womens sports bar movement.
This is just getting started.
We have superstar athletes and teams.
Theres a bubble of energy thats been vibrating and just starting to explode.
Its just a given that theyll be on.
