For women’s sports, the media buys are becoming a big deal

Female athletes are competing for greater fandom, higher viewership and more media coverage. A recent Ally Financial ad buy with Disney’s ESPN focused on women’s sports may be the biggest deal yet — in importance as much as the dollars attached.

The one-year, multimillion-dollar deal requires 90% of its investment to be put to women’s sports, through expanding game highlights, branded content and features across ESPN.

“We really think it’s at the top of the funnel to create the most fundamental change for women’s sports,” said Stephanie Marciano, head of sports and entertainment...