Sports Illustrated Launches ‘SI Women’s Games’ to Air This Fall on ION

Sports Illustrated is partnering with Scripps Sports to bring the biennial event exclusively to ION from Oct. 28 to Nov. 2.

SI Women’s Games / SI Women's Games logo / Sports Illustrated

We know it’s only April, but Sports Illustrated’s newest competition coming this fall is one you’ll want to put on your calendar.

The sports media brand announced their newest venture, the ‘SI Women’s Games’ in a press release on Monday morning, featuring international and domestic female pros in a competitive series of athletic challenges.

The event, lasting from Oct. 28 to Nov. 2, is bringing some of the greatest global athletes in their craft to Oceanside, Calif. There will be six competitions, including volleyball, basketball, tennis, gymnastics, combat sports and flag football. All events will be exclusively broadcasted in the U.S. on ION, following a multiyear partnership between Sports Illustrated and Scripps, per Monday's release.

“We’re proud to partner with Sports Illustrated, one of the most iconic brands in sports, to showcase and bring the compelling and exciting stories, athletes and events of the SI Women’s Games to every American household,” President of Scripps Sports, Brian Lawlor shared. “This is another milestone for Scripps Sports and ION as a premier destination for the best in women’s sports.”

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Participating athletes will be separated by squads—“Team Americas” and “Team World”—for team competitions, but will also compete in individual feats throughout the duration of the event. Winners not only earn bragging rights as the inaugural champs of the Games (and deemed the ‘SI Women’s Games Champion’), they can also gain prize money based on competition success.

“This is an exciting new way for us to tell the best stories in sports,” said Sports Illustrated Editor in Chief Steve Cannella in the same release. “We can’t wait to watch these incredible athletes compete in California and celebrate everything they do, both on and off the field.”

The competition arises on the heels of record viewership in women’s sports. According to UN Women, coverage of women’s sports media has tripled since 2019, with roughly 54% of women’s sports fans reporting that they’ve only tuned into women's sports within the last three years. On an institutional level, the Paris Olympics last summer made history as the first Olympic games to achieve “full gender parity on the field of play.”

Who would you like to see make their SI Women’s Games debut? And who do you think will be crowned the first-ever SI Women's Games Champion? For everything you need to know for the SI Women’s Games, including tickets and event schedules, click here.