Hartford Business Journal

HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | JUNE 2, 2025 13 The Women's Pro Baseball League (WPBL) is scheduled to launch next year, and there is an ongoing effort to make Connecticut the home of a future franchise. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO Play Ball? Can CT land a professional women's baseball team? One local marketing, e-commerce exec thinks so access to New York City by train and just a short drive from either end of the state, Connecticut is perfectly posi- tioned for a professional team." But is it? Despite women's sports' national success, the future of Connecticut's only professional team, the WNBA's Connecticut Sun, is uncertain. The Sun play in what is the WNBA's smallest media market, and the team's owner — the Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority — recently indicated it's open to a sale, perhaps to avoid having to make a major investment in a practice facility. "Understanding the business aspect is where the rubber meets the road," Freyer said. "At the end of the day, for anyone to bring any investment into this to help out, they need to be able to see some type of return." He's just formed Connecticut Athletic Company LLC to take the baseball project forward, and is in talks for real financial backing. But he's also remaining realistic. He knows Connecticut won't be in the hunt for one of the first six slots in the league launch next summer, but he hopes it will make it onto the roster for the league expansion after that. "In order to have a franchise from this league, obviously the real estate and infrastructure has to be sorted out prior to even putting in a bid," he said. "So, my number one focus right now is contacting venues and getting the idea of what something like that would look like if we were to partner with any type of college or university." 'Long overdue' Venues are also on the mind of Keith Stein, the co-founder of the Women's Pro Baseball League. He's all in on the women's baseball concept. So much so that he's just helped break the gender barrier in Canadian baseball, signing female Japa- nese phenom Ayami Sato to a team he co-owns — the Toronto Maple Leafs — in the country's Intercounty Baseball League. When she threw out her first pitch in the Leafs' season opener May 11, Sato became the first woman to play in a professional men's league in Canada. "It's long overdue," Stein said. Stein says the six teams in the initial U.S. league launch will play in just two pre-existing stadiums, yet to be announced, likely with a capacity of around 3,000 to 5,000 seats. "Everything we do in this league has to be thoughtful and strategic," he said. "But ultimately, every team will have its own stadium." Stein has decided to go for a single- owner model for the league, at least in the first few years, to establish standard protocols throughout all teams. He won't reveal the amount the league is aiming to raise as it gets off the ground, but it has announced an advisory relationship with Muse Capital, a California-based, early-stage venture investor. Muse Capital's founding partner Assia Grazioli-Venier was also appointed WPBL's board chair and will lead the search for a CEO. By Harriet Jones hjones@hartfordbusiness.com W omen's sports is having a moment — as the Husky-crazed residents of Connecticut know better than anyone else. Last year was record-breaking for women's teams across all professional sports, as they generated $1.88 billion in revenue, according to Deloitte. The global CPA firm's recent report projects women's sports will top that in 2025, generating a forecasted $2.35 billion. It's in this promising landscape that an entirely new league is getting in on the action. The Women's Pro Baseball League (WPBL) is launching in the summer of 2026 with six teams representing yet-to-be announced locations. Its founders, led by legendary player and coach Justine Siegal, are bullish on the prospects and have already announced a major media deal with British tele- vision company Fremantle. All of this has grabbed the attention of Ridgefield resident John Freyer. "One of my favorite movies was 'A League of Their Own' — I just have fond memories of it," he said, referring to the 1992 film starring Geena Davis and Madonna, which tells the story of the last time the U.S. had a professional women's baseball league. That was back in the 1940s, when the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League toured during World War II. The league folded in 1954, meaning there hasn't been professional women's baseball in the U.S. for some 70 years. Freyer, a digital marketing and e-commerce executive, believes that Connecticut — with its historic love of the game, its support for women's sports and a highly successful minor league men's team (the Hartford Yard Goats) — could provide fertile ground for a professional women's baseball team. That's why he's heading up the Connecticut Baseball Project. "I just started asking questions and the next thing I know, I was like, you know what? I'm going to put something together," he said. "I really think we can generate some buzz around bringing a team to Connecticut." "Nestled between Yankees and Red Sox Nation, Connecticut is a state where fans are fiercely divided, and yet we share a deep love for the game," the Project's website says. "With quick John Freyer Keith Stein Justine Siegal Continued on next page 2022 2023 2024 2025* $500M $1B $1.5B $2B $2.5B TOTAL REVENUE REVENUE GENERATED BY WOMEN'S SPORTS IN THE U.S. *2025 revenues are projected. | Source: Deloitte

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