Women's sports brand, 'The IX', acquires 'The Ice Garden', a renowned hockey website.
The IX Sports, a trailblazing women's sports media brand, has announced its latest expansion move - the strategic acquisition of The Ice Garden, a platform renowned for its coverage of women's ice hockey. This move is a significant step towards The IX Sports' goal of broadening its coverage and influence within the women’s sports industry.
The Ice Garden, with its deep-rooted expertise and dedicated coverage in a niche but rapidly growing area of women’s sports, complements The IX Sports' expansion plan perfectly. By integrating The Ice Garden, The IX Sports taps into an established community within women’s ice hockey, accelerating its growth in the overall women's sports media landscape.
The acquisition, according to Howard Megdal, founder of The IX Sports, will allow the site to grow significantly, thanks to the financial backing involved. The partnership is expected to lead to more people reading The Ice Garden's work, further bolstering its influence.
Mike Murphy, the managing editor of The Ice Garden, likened the partnership to hooking up to a generator, implying increased resources and reach. The Ice Garden, which has been independent since 2023 after Vox Media and SB Nation cut ties, will continue to be overseen by its staff under the new partnership. Mike Murphy will remain as managing editor, with the staff continuing to oversee editorial operations.
The IX Sports is also looking to capitalize on the growing appetite for women's sports exposure among brands. The investment in The Ice Garden is timed to coincide with the Professional Women's Hockey League's third season, expansion teams' debut campaigns in Seattle and Vancouver, and the 2026 Winter Olympics.
The partnership between The IX Sports and The Ice Garden is part of a larger trend of rising attention and investment in women's sports across organizations and media. In 2024, women's sports saw a 12% growth in sponsorship deals, according to SponsorUnited data. To capitalize on this trend, The IX Sports is planning to invest in comprehensive coverage of women's sports, particularly in ice hockey.
In a bid to further boost its growth, The IX Sports has also recruited former WNBA player Bella Alarie as senior VP of sales and marketing. The financial terms of the deal between The IX Sports and The Ice Garden have not been disclosed.
With its latest acquisition, The IX Sports aims to end the idea that covering women's sports requires personal financial investment from journalists, instead leveraging the power of reader subscription revenue and strategic partnerships to drive its growth. This approach, if successful, could set a new standard for women's sports media.
[1] Data source: SponsorUnited
In the coming years, it's expected that women's sports will continue to gain prominence, with the 2026 Winter Olympics featuring women's sports for the first time. The IX Sports' strategic expansion plan, centred around the acquisition of The Ice Garden, positions the brand well to capitalise on this growing trend and become a leading voice in women's sports media.
- People are expected to read more of The Ice Garden's work following the strategic acquisition by The IX Sports, further bolstering its influence.
- The IX Sports has recruited former WNBA player Bella Alarie as senior VP of sales and marketing, as part of its bid to further boost its growth.
- The investment in The Ice Garden by The IX Sports is timed to coincide with the Professional Women's Hockey League's third season, expansion teams' debut campaigns in Seattle and Vancouver, and the 2026 Winter Olympics.
- By integrating The Ice Garden, The IX Sports taps into an established community within women’s ice hockey, accelerating its growth in the overall women's sports media landscape.
