Champions of Change: Shattering Ceilings in Sports Adweek Podcast Network

The FIFA brand is strong, but the EA Sports brand may be stronger.
Andrea Hopelain, svp of brand for EA Sports, joined Champions of Change to explain how she’s overseeing the rebrand of the iconic FIFA video game franchise into EA Sports FC, arriving in 2024, following a record-breaking FIFA ’23 launch.
Hopelain also dives into how EA Sports is integrating female athletes into historically male video games, and how the company can market to women to grow the company’s fanbase.
Plus, learn about Hopelain’s favorite games, and how her skills as a former competitive soccer player have changed her career trajectory.
Stream the new episode below, listen and subscribe on Apple podcasts or find it on Spotify.

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A Prime Video sports docuseries following elite native Hawaiian surfers as they pursue the sport at the highest level? Sign us up.Moana Jones Wong, Maluhia Kinimaka and Brianna Cope, three of the stars of Surf Girls Hawai’i, join Adweek’s Champions of Change to share how the show came together, the importance of community, brand sponsorships, and how they’re growing the sport of surfing.Also hear the importance of representation, how surfing can stay accessible, and where the exciting future of one of the world’s most quickly growing sports. All four episodes of Surf Girls Hawai'i are now streaming on Prime Video.
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In a special episode of Champions of Change, host Mollie Cahillane joined Ally CMO Andrea Brimmer and the Ally team on the ground at the Ally 400 NASCAR race in Nashville.
Back in the first episode of the season, Cahillane asked Brimmer to explain the appeal of car racing, and Brimmer delivered. Hear why Ally partnered with NASCAR and how the company is working to make the sport more inclusive, plus details on the company’s sponsorship of driver Alex Bowman.
Also hear about Ally’s latest initiatives in women’s sports, including an update on the 50/50 pledge, why a partnership with Disney was the right move, and the company’s plans for the upcoming FIFA Women’s World Cup. And as Pride Month comes to an end, learn how Ally shows up for the LGBTQ+ community year-round.

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The New York Liberty are a certified super team, and fans and brands are on board.
Keia Clarke, CEO of the WNBA team, joins this episode of Champions of Change to discuss how her background in marketing led her to a career in professional basketball. Learn how Clarke navigates media rights deals, her thoughts on the digital and streaming future of sports, the power of having a super team in Brooklyn, and why brands should be getting in with the Liberty.
Also hear how Clarke’s experience as a collegiate basketball player translates into her professional career, and what’s next for the NY Liberty.

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Natalie White’s got game.
After seeing an ad three years ago featuring four WNBA players promoting men’s sneakers, the now-25-year-old CEO founded Moolah Kicks, the first basketball brand designed specifically for women.
After White cold emailed the CEO of Dick’s Sporting Goods, the company’s first design launched in 140 retail stores. Now, they’re in over 450 with multiple models, and a new player-exclusive shoe with the WNBA’s Courtney Williams drops next month.
White joined Champions of Change to discuss how she built one of the most recognizable brands in women’s basketball from the ground up, created more than 60 NIL partnerships, and why Moolah Kicks is moving away from the talk of equality in sports.
Follow Mollie on Twitter: @MollieCahillane
Subscribe to Champions of Change on your favorite podcast platform!
You can listen and subscribe to all of Adweek’s podcasts by visiting adweek.com/podcasts.
Stay updated on all things Adweek Podcast Network by following us on Twitter: @adweekpodcasts.
And if you have a question or suggestions for the show, send us an email at podcast@adweek.com.

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In honor of the upcoming FIFA Women's World Cup, we are going back to season 2 to our conversation with U.S. Soccer Federation president Cindy Parlow Cone.
During this episode, we’ll hear about Cone’s path to becoming the first female president of U.S. Soccer, how she’s combatted sexism and inequality in the game, equal pay and collective bargaining, and how she’s leading the federation through turbulent times.
Editor’s note: This episode was recorded prior to the release of the Sally Yates-led investigation into abuse in the NWSL.
Follow Mollie on Twitter: @MollieCahillane
Subscribe to Adweek’s Most Powerful Women in Sports on your favorite podcast platform!
You can listen and subscribe to all of Adweek’s podcasts by visiting adweek.com/podcasts.
Stay updated on all things Adweek Podcast Network by following us on Twitter: @adweekpodcasts.
And if you have a question or suggestions for the show, send us an email at podcast@adweek.com.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.