Carol Stiff Appointed President, Raquel Braun Named Chief Business Officer
LOS ANGELES /PRNewswire/ — FAST Studios, the leading premium content studio specializing in free, ad-supported streaming television, announced today two key executive appointments of sports industry trailblazers at its network, Women’s Sports Network (WSN), the first and only 24/7 platform dedicated exclusively to female athletes. Carol Stiff, a 30-year veteran executive of ESPN Programming and Acquisitions and a tireless advocate for women’s sports, has been named President of Women’s Sports Network, while Raquel Braun, a former EA Sports and FOX Sports executive integral in negotiating unprecedented global media partnerships and developing new business opportunities, joins as Chief Business Officer.
Confirming these leadership positions ahead of its first anniversary milestone next month, Women’s Sports Network continues its mission to enrich the world of sports by delivering live games, news and original storytelling, showcasing the exceptional achievements and contributions of star female athletes, whilst serving as a seamless doorway for brands. Available in 95 million homes with distribution on Amazon Freevee, Fubo, LG Channels on LG Smart TVs, Local Now, Plex, Tubi, VIZIO WatchFree+, Roku and XumoPlay, Women’s Sports Network has experienced tremendous growth in its nascent year of operation with viewership increasing by 40%, to 2 million hours viewed, since launch. The network comprises 1,000 total hours of programming and is set to feature 200 hours of live event coverage in 2024 and more women’s sports programming than any other channel. WSN’s studio, located in El Segundo, California, has already created more than 500 hours of original content, inclusive of its signature show, “Game On,” which offers an in-depth look inside daily top sports headlines and interviews with athletes, coaches and influential leaders in women’s sports. WSN continues its mission of bringing more media coverage and marketing support to women’s sports built from partnerships with every major professional women’s sports league in the United States, including the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA), U.S. Ski and Snowboard, World Surf League (WSL), WNBA, Athletes Unlimited and many more.
As President of Women’s Sports Network, Stiff will oversee the direction and continued expansion of the network, content development, and manage key league and athlete relationships.
FAST Studios CEO Stuart McLean commented, “Carol Stiff is undeniably an influential voice in the sports media landscape, tirelessly advocating for the growth of women’s sports at the collegiate and professional level through her innovative ideas and programming.” He continued, “Over the past year, she developed our WSN advisory board comprised of key women executives and then served as Chair of the board as we grew the Women’s Sports Network. I am incredibly grateful for her expertise, experience and wide swath of connections in all aspects of women’s sports. I know WSN is in the right hands as she extends her impact as President of the network.”
Stiff has been at the forefront of promoting women’s sports from her student-athlete playing career, to collegiate coaching to her 30-year tenure at ESPN, including as the former Vice President of content integration for espnW. At ESPN, Stiff was responsible for the acquisition and programming of a variety of sports including NCAA women’s basketball, NCAA Men’s & Women’s championships, WNBA, professional softball and more across multiple platforms such as ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNews, ESPN+. Stiff serves on the Women’s Sports Foundation Board of Trustees, as President of the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame Board of Trustees, Collegiate Women’s Sports Awards Board of Directors and the Pat Summitt Alzheimer’s Advisory Board. In 2021, Stiff was inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame, received the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame John R. Bunn award, and received the Naismith Lifetime Achievement Award and an Edward R. Murrow award.
“Women’s sports are in the midst of a shining moment, breaking records across numerous fronts. From the dynamic participation of girls and women to thriving live audiences at sporting events, surging viewership figures, the emergence of new professional leagues, league expansions, soaring franchise valuations, and increased investments and promotions, it’s evident that women’s sports have become a thriving business. As the saying goes ‘If you build it, they will come.’ Join us at the Women’s Sports Network as we ride this wave of progress, carrying the momentum forward and build a network for everyone to witness,” said Carol Stiff, President of Women’s Sports Network.
Additionally, Raquel Braun brings a wealth of experience to Women’s Sports Network. In her role as Chief Business Officer, Braun will oversee the network’s business strategy & operations, and league and distribution partnerships.
As a senior business development executive at EA Sports prior to joining WSN, Braun was instrumental in launching groundbreaking partnerships at the intersection of sports, entertainment, and gaming. In her role, she led business development efforts with respect to global media partnerships, content development & production, talent engagements, including celebrities, athletes, and broadcasters, and esports initiatives across EA Sports’ portfolio of brands. Prior to joining EA Sports, Raquel was Vice President of Business and Legal Affairs at FOX Sports where she worked on the acquisition of major sports rights for FOX’s national and international sports networks, managed high-profile talent negotiations, advised on production operations and strategy, and led a variety of production-related deals for FOX Sports’ premier properties, including the FIFA Women’s World Cups in 2019 and 2015, the 2018 FIFA World Cup, Super Bowl LIV, and the 2017 World Series. An alumna of Georgetown Law, Braun also serves as an Adjunct Professor at the Law Center, and as the Chair of the University of Florida’s Sports Management Industry Advisory Board.
“I am thrilled to join Women’s Sports Network as we build an innovative business that champions female athletes, creates additional value for our league, team and distribution partners, and ensures women’s sports receive the 24/7 coverage and support they deserve,” said Chief Business Officer Raquel Braun. She continued, “I’ve known Stuart for years as a constant innovator in the media business and Carol is an absolute trailblazer in women’s sports. Together the possibilities to further shine a bright light, highlighting women in sports, are endless.”
Women’s Sports Network continues to break boundaries to ensure that female athletes have a platform and that their fans have opportunities to discover more about the sports stars they admire. Stiff and Braun will be instrumental in assuring greater accessibility to women’s sports coverage, amplifying the voices of athletes and their coaches, for all sports fans.
ABOUT WOMEN’S SPORTS NETWORK
Women’s Sports Network is a free, ad-supported, 24/7 streaming destination available on Amazon Freevee, Fubo, LG Channels on LG Smart TVs, Local Now, Plex, Tubi, VIZIO WatchFree+, Roku and XumoPlay. Launched by FAST Studios in 2022, Women’s Sports Network aims to promote diversity in the sports and entertainment industries by offering viewers content that celebrates female athletes both on and off the field. Women’s Sports Network has confirmed participation from all the major sports leagues, including the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA), U.S. Ski and Snowboard, and World Surf League (WSL), WNBA, Athletes Unlimited and many more. For further information visit: https://womenssports.com.
ABOUT FAST STUDIOS
FAST Studios (FAST) is a multi-faceted premium content studio specializing in content creation, marketing, distribution, and monetization of free ad-supported streaming television channels (FAST). Channels include Women’s Sports Network, the only 24/7 channel dedicated to female athletes, SpartanTV, the world’s leading obstacle race and lifestyle wellness brand, and RACING America, the official media partner of the Race Team Alliance that consists of 16 NASCAR Cup Series teams. FAST Studios simultaneously serves dozens of streaming platforms who need quality content channels to draw loyal audiences, brand marketers who must efficiently reach fragmented audiences at scale, and the growing population of streaming viewers who expect premium content experiences. For further information visit: www.FASTstudios.com.
SOURCE Women’s Sports Network
