cfx_december-2024 - 18

WOMEN'S ADVANCEMENT
CHAMPION
It's no exaggeration to say that Schulman is constantly
seeking ways to advocate for women, even when she's
off the clock. Take the Boston Fleet-one of the six
charter franchises of the Professional Women's Hockey
League, which began its inaugural season this past January.
" I'm out to dinner with my girlfriends, and I'm trying
to find the score. I couldn't Google the score. That is crazy
to think about, " she says. " I went back to our digital
production team and said, 'What can we do about this?'
And they plugged in a widget so this year we'll actually
have a scoreboard that will be searchable in Google and
SEO so when people are out with their friends and want
to know the score, they can actually find it. "
With thinking like that, it's little surprise that Schulman
serves as the Executive Chair of NESN WON, which
stands for Women of NESN. It was created as an internal
employee resource group about seven years ago to
support women in a traditionally male industry. But last
fall the members of WON decided it made sense to also
make the brand public-facing. In 2024 it became a reality.
" I think what's so great about this brand is everything
from the logo, to the launch spot, to the concept itself
was created by the Women of NESN, " says Schulman.
" We created an overarching theme where stories of
women can be told, and where we really push ourselves
to tell more stories, air more broadcasts and really
highlight the great work that's being done, not only in
women's sports, but in the business of women's sports-
in front of and behind the camera as well. "
When Schulman started her career in sales and sports,
she found herself in a male-dominated field without a
lot of mentors. So, she's made it her mission to be that
for other women, whether it be through her work at
NESN, mentoring more than 75 women, participating
on various boards, removing barriers for NESN WON's
launch or her past role as VP of WISE, Women in Sports
and Events, in Boston. " My father said to me from an
early age on, 'a diamond doesn't shine at the bottom of
a cave.' What that has meant to me is know your worth,
know your voice and be in places where you're going to
be able to shine, " she says. " I try to create those environments
in places that I've worked in, places that I've
gone, even out with my girlfriends, where people feel
really comfortable to share ideas. Places where we can
challenge and inspire each other in respectful ways. I
really surround myself with this network of women who
put gas in my tank. "
Women of NESN launched as a public-facing brand at
this year's Women's Beanpot, an annual ice hockey tourney
among the four major U.S. college hockey teams of
the Boston area. A NESN female-led broadcast team
handled the event, which was played for the first time at
TD Garden, home to the Men's Beanpot since '96. This
wasn't just a feel-good moment. " We actually saw a
huge increase in viewership during that time-a 3,500%
increase over our average household impressions and
compared to 2023 coverage, " explains Schulman.
18
Cosmina Schulman
SVP, Strategic Partnerships
NESN
Another highlight for Women in NESN came in August
when the first-ever female broadcast duo, Emma Tiedemann
and Rylee Pay, called multiple innings of a Red
Sox game in Fenway Park. Appropriately, the date was
August 26-Women's Equality Day. " You can see it, you
can be it, " Schulman said in a televised interview about
the big-league debut. NESN used that night also to roll
out its emerging talent rotational position, a 12-month
role with anchoring and hosting duties that are part of
its commitment to build out the talent pipeline.
NESN WON's first year included season-long coverage
and content from the Boston Fleet and the launch of
women's sports weekly podcast " Respect Her Game. "
It's no secret that women's sports are booming these
days, but Schulman cautions that a lot of the attention is
on the national level with more work to be done. " I think
what people miss is that sports are local. It's really about
communities, and it's probably one of the only things
that still bring us together, " she says. " I haven't seen the
regional or the local dollars on the sponsorship level
really start to come in in a way that's been meaningful. "
NESN has had some success, with Bauer Hockey
signing on as the first Fleet broadcast sponsor. Some of
those dollars will be reinvested into content, including a
media day with the players at NESN.
With seismic shifts occurring in the RSN landscape,
Schulman is especially proud that NESN has devoted
resources to NESN WON. " We're ahead of the curve in
the RSN space. I've had several RSNs reach out to me
that see the work we've done around WON, and obviously
there is the Caitlin Clark effect and women's sport
just taking the industry by storm. They ask, 'How do we
do this?' " she says. " You can't do it overnight. It has to
be authentic and a part of who you are. "
December 2024
CablefaxWomen.com
http://www.CablefaxWomen.com
cfx_december-2024

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