‘Everyone Watches Women’s Sports’. That’s the motto being promoted in a merch brand released by digital media platform TOGETHXR. The shirts and hoodies were launched in December of 2023, and gained popularity throughout the summer as Hollywood celebs Jason Sudekis and Chelsea Handler, as well as NCAA basketball star Paige Bueckers, were spotted courtside with them. Beginning with the new WNBA team the Golden State Valkyries, teams are beginning to build partnerships with TOGETHXR, and spread the message that women’s sports are here to stay.
The digital media platform TOGETHXR was founded in 2021 by four world class American athletes: Alex Morgan, Sue Bird, Chloe Kim and Simone Manuel. The co-founders came together with a shared goal of creating a brighter future for the next generation of young girls in sport, as they wrap up their own stellar careers. TOGETHXR is “an unapologetic platform where representation and equality is the norm. A place where culture, activism, lifestyle, and sports converge”. As champions of equality and representation, the platform is a place for young girls to witness their heroes thriving, not only as athletes, but in life. Through stories, videos, merchandise, and team schedules, the platform promotes female athletes across America and the world. A feature called “TOGETHXR 411” has easy-read highlights to keep fans up to date on everything going on across women’s sports. An “inner circle” newsletter allows avid fans to receive the inside scoop on events, merch drops and networking opportunities.
Combined, the four co-founders have 14 Olympic medals – including 10 gold – 2 FIFA World Cup Titles, 2 NCAA Basketball Titles, 4 WNBA Championships, 2 World Championship gold medals in snowboarding and 11 in swimming. Their vision for TOGETHXR is not all about medals and victories, however. They want to showcase the lives of female athletes, and their journeys beyond the accolades. TOGETHXR seeks to empower the next generation of young girls and prove that the influence and passion of these women stretches beyond sport itself.
In an interview with BAZAAR.com, Alex Morgan shared that, “we have interests outside of sport, although it is the one thing that brings so many of us together. It was important to give a space and platform to all girls and women who feel like sports are a part of their life, in a big way or small. As much as I love soccer and what I do, it’s not all of who I am.” Sue Bird echoed the sentiment: “I got drafted in 2002, so almost 20 years ago … You felt like you had to fit in certain boxes in order to be considered [for coverage] or to have your story told,” Bird said. “[To have] something like TOGETHXR back then, it would have blown my mind. It would have probably blown a lot of people’s minds. Right now is the right time to really take all of the conversations we’re having to another level, and TOGETHXR can be that medium that helps do it.”
Women’s sports have been on the rise for years, and now there are stats to back it up. The 2024 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament Championship game between Iowa and South Carolina peaked at 24 million viewers, making it the most watched women’s college game since 1992, according to ESPN. The WNBA recorded an average of 1.2 million viewers, the most watched full season on ESPN platforms. The National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) season concluded with a sold out crowd in Portland for the final game of Canadian legend Christine Sinclair’s career. NWSL communications reported that with that final game, the league has surpassed 2 million in regular season attendance for the first time in its history. And in Montreal, a record 21,105 fans were in attendance for a Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) game between Toronto and Montreal at the Bell Centre in the league’s inaugural season. But with all the rise in attendance and viewership, the gap between coverage in women’s and men’s sports remains wide. Women make up 44% of all participants in sport yet receive less than 16% of mainstream media coverage.
TOGETHXR is a platform where women can celebrate each other and be unapologetically themselves. A place where fans can follow all their favourite female athletes in their journeys both on and off the court. A place where women can be passionate about both sports and fashion and be accepted for both. The website’s intro ends with a statement from the co-founders: “Legacy is about what you give back and who you lift up. It’s about the world you create for the next generation … We got tired of waiting for someone to build it. So we did. Welcome to TOGETHXR.”