Mylan World TeamTennis CEO Ilana Kloss in a one-on-one interview today at SBJ/SBD's Game Changers conference said, “We will all know that women’s sports has really arrived when women’s team sports are thriving.” Kloss said a crucial ingredient is corporate backing, as well as long-term support from owners. Kloss talked about starting WTT in the mid-'70s and said convincing male players to compete alongside women was not difficult. She credited her mentor, Billie Jean King, and King’s philosophy of creating a level playing field for everyone. "I think when you’re on a team you have one goal. And that’s to win.” She emphasized the importance of getting young girls involved in team sports so that they can benefit from the leadership roles that those sports provide. Asked about coverage of women’s sports in the media, Kloss said, “Unless you’re a World Cup or Olympics, women get about 4-5% of the media. … I think we do need to keep pushing.”
Quick Hits:
On the reason for the gap in prize money between the ATP and WTA: “I think most of the corporate positions are still male-dominated. With tennis, we’re very fortunate that it is co-ed and does have men and women. We’ve always believed that that is a better product. When the men and women play together, it drives fan interest and it drives television interest."
On landing King a sponsorship deal with Geico: “It was pretty easy, because the cave man reminded her of Bobby Riggs. … By getting her an endorsement in her late 60s, by pushing the envelope, I think hopefully it will be easier for other women to go through that door. Companies are really starting to understand the power of women.”
