America's First Women's Sports Bar Is Expanding. Is Your City Next?
The cardboard cutout of tennis legend and equal rights trailblazer Billie Jean King is looking right at A Bar of Their Own owner Jillian Hiscock. The life-size model at the front door of the Minneapolis watering hole is a seamless part of the two-room space’s decor—a relic among the women’s sports memorabilia throughout.
Hiscock has been on the phone the last several minutes trying to get permission to stream an event. Once she is finished with a reporter, she has another call to make—to talk with people from a company that is helping a women’s sports bar get off the ground in Des Moines, Iowa about audio-video setups.
“I think it’s part of my job, honestly, to help continue to grow this movement and help make other women successful,” Hiscock says. “I know it’s challenging, but I had a lot of help, and insight and support … from Jenny Nguyen and Jen Barnes, and I want to continue to pay that forward in this process.”
Nguyen and Barnes, from Portland and Seattle, respectively, are two of the nation’s first owners of bars that almost exclusively televise women’s sport. The Sports Bra in Portland became the first when it opened its doors in April 2022. Rough & Tumble followed suit eight months later, just 180 miles to the north.
Today, there are 13 bars that exclusively or nearly exclusively showcase women’s sports, with three more set to open this summer. A handful of others are in the later stages of finding appropriate brick-and-mortar venues and crowdsourcing.
The bars have expanded beyond traditional women’s sports hotbeds and LGBTQ-friendly areas and into areas that might surprise, such as Texas, Nebraska, Iowa and Ohio. The Sports Bra recently announced it will be the first to franchise nationwide, opening four new locations in partnership with Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian , primarily in markets that do not already have thriving independent spots.
The audience for women’s sports has exploded since Nguyen, the unofficial oracle of bars for women’s sports, opened the Bra.
The first nationally televised game of the WNBA season—a preseason contest featuring Caitlin Clark ’s Indiana Fever and the Brazilian National Team—averaged 1.3 million viewers. Opening weekend gave ESPN its most-watched game ever to the tune of 2.7 million viewers when the Fever hosted Angel Reese ’s Chicago Sky. More than 175 WNBA games will be televised nationally on ABC, ESPN, ION, Prime Video, CBS, CBS Sports Network and NBA TV this season.
The NCAA Division I softball postseason, which began in mid-May and will culminate in the Women’s College World Series from May 29 to June 6, has seen extensive growth across ESPN’s channels. Last season, the Series final between Texas and Oklahoma drew 2 million viewers, delivering the most-watched WCWS Finals on record with a TV audience up 24 percent from 2023.
But the very thing that made women’s sports bars possible—coverage—remains its biggest challenge, owners say.
“We are having the hardest time [getting] all the games. There is still not enough women’s sports on TV,” says Kat Moore, co-owner of Title 9 in Phoenix.
It’s a universal problem as the owners look for content to fill their screens.
Hiscock said A Bar of Their Own regularly subscribes to 18 streaming platforms, but also has several individual event subscriptions—for example, to show the NCAA Division III women’s ultimate frisbee championships, in which local programs Carleton College and St. Olaf College recently competed.
“For so many of these services, you can buy the event package, but they are intended for personal use, so we have to contact the service to make sure we have permission to show their content in a commercial setting. That’s another aspect men’s sports bars don’t have to deal with,” she says.
Not all of the bars show only women’s sports. At Chicago’s Whiskey Girl Tavern, for example, men’s sports can be seen. The priority of the LGBTQ-friendly space in the Edgewater neighborhood is to air women’s sports, however.
“We always wanted a spot to watch sports and have a nice cocktail and could never really find it,” co-owner Heather Roberts told Block Club Chicago when Whiskey Girl opened in 2022. “We built a place we would want to go.”
The bars each have their own feel and mission, as well.
Watch Me! Sports Bar in Long Beach, California has become an event space where former U.S. Women’s National Team soccer stars Tobin Heath and Christen Press recorded an episode of their podcast, The Re—Cap Show . The real Billie Jean King made a visit in April, too.
Drawdown Brewing in the Jamaica Plain neighborhood of Boston is a woman-owned brewery with a focus, naturally, on beer. However, it is also a venue where one can find all of Boston’s professional women’s sports teams—including the PWHL ’s Fleet and Women’s Elite Rugby Banshees—on the screens.
Amy Cooper has been staging watch parties and fine-tuning the concept for Raise the Bar in Columbus, Ohio, which will be the site of the NCAA Women’s Final Four in 2027. Cooper says advice from Hiscock has led her to be patient in her approach to securing a building lease so that her bar has ample room to grow and to connect to the community.
“Even though we don't yet have a WNBA or NWSL team, the city is committed to making itself a women's sports hub and, with that growing momentum, I don't doubt that there will be a team here, and Raise the Bar will be here ahead of time,” Cooper says.
Athena Keke’s will open in Brooklyn later this summer under long-time service industry employees Claudia Capriles and Alexandra Murray, who have also leaned on the women’s sports bar veterans.
“We are a part of a couple Slack groups and group chats [and] are talking to all of the women’s sports bar owners across the country,” Capriles said. “It’s great because we’ve built this community around women’s sports bars.”
Every Women's Sports Bar, State By State
ARIZONA
Title 9 Sports Grill
4221 N 7th Ave., Phoenix, AZ 85013
title9sportsgrill.com | @title9sportsgrill
Long-time Boycott Bar owner Audrey Corley teamed up with Kat and Brad Moore of Short Leash Hot Dogs + Taproom to create a well lit, festive joint with plenty of screens in Short Leash’s former home. Corley focuses on the bar operations and sports, while Kat’s jam is the food and events. Committed to the community of the Melrose neighborhood, Title 9 has hosted “happy hours” for kids, book signings and special guests. Corley says she’s still waiting for Diana Taurasi to show up!
CALIFORNIA
Watch Me! Sports Bar
6527 E Pacific Coast Hwy, Long Beach, CA 90803
@watchme_sportsbar
Long Beach has a raucous queer community, and this bar is for the sports-loving queers. The spot apparently crushed Long Beach Pride this May. It has a dog-friendly patio, a festive, semi-circular bar and lots and lots of TVs. It is big enough for screenings, podcast tapings ( LA Sparks Weekly , The Re—Cap Show , etc.) and some amazing guests. There is a lot going on at the sleek, bright Watch Me! Sports Bar and it all looks good.
COLORADO
The 99ers Sports Bar
909 E Colfax Ave., Denver, CO 80218
the99erssportsbar.com | @the99erssportsbar
An ode to the 1999 USWNT team, The 99ers Sports Bar is a traditional bar in a narrow space with some booths, high-tops tables, a few TVs and framed jerseys. Like several of its sister bars, 99ers started a year before opening with a Kickstarter campaign and a dream. Today, Denver is preparing to welcome an NWSL team in 2026, and celebrates the Bandits of the WNFC pro football league and University of Denver athletics. It is also a place that isn’t avoiding politics—Mayor Mike Johnson was slinging drinks behind the bar earlier this May!
ILLINOIS
Whiskey Girl Tavern
6318 N Clark St., Chicago, IL 60660
whiskeygirltavern.com | @whiskeygirltavern
Named after the owners’ dog, Whiskey, WGT doesn’t exclusively air women’s sports. It is more of a traditional sports bar that showcases women athletes. That doesn’t mean it skimps. This spring, for example, the place was abuzz over the start of women’s 3-on-3 basketball league Unrivaled and aired every contest. It hosts live music, comedy shows and touts a not-surprisingly solid whiskey list.
MASSACHUSETTS
Drawdown Brewing
3204 Washington St., Boston, MA 02130
drawdownbrewing.com | @drawdownbrewing
At Drawdown Brewing in Boston’s Jamaica Plain neighborhood, you might not even realize it is a women’s sports bar. Its primary focus is on its beer. But it also happens to be one of the only places in the Northeast where one can watch all of New England’s professional women’s sports teams and local women’s college sports. Also, Fridays are for RuPaul’s Drag Race .
MINNESOTA
A Bar Of Their Own
2207 E Franklin Ave., Minneapolis, MN 55404
abaroftheirown.com | @abaroftheirown
With a huge dining room and separate bar area, A Bar of Their Own is a bustling, loud, festive joint. Solid bar food and local drafts dot the menu, which is nothing special. What is special is the camaraderie. Minnesota nice, right?! Absolutely. The staff is pleasant and inviting, and the regulars are used to winning. Get ready to talk about the Gophers, the Lynx, the Frost, broomball, even dancing! These are smart local sports fans.
NEBRASKA
Set The Bar
6121 Maple St., Suite 2, Omaha, NE 68104
set-thebar.com | @setthebaromaha
Nebraska might not be the first place you think of when thinking “women’s sports bars,” but if you know how passionate the state is about women’s volleyball, it makes total sense. On Instagram, it says you may see some men’s sports on its screens, but “our priority is and always will be women’s sports.” A family-friendly space, Set The Bar has a simple menu, but one that is cognizant of vegans, vegetarians and those sensitive to gluten. The Banh Mi Fries look heavenly, too.
OHIO
The W Sports Bar
5428 Detroit Ave., Cleveland, OH 44102
thewsportsbarcleveland.com | @thewsportsbar
Located in the Gordon Square Arts District, The W is owned by three women’s sports fans—Cassy Kopp and Ally Eclarin of streetwear brand State Champs, and Shelley Pippin of Brewnuts (donuts and beer!). The menu features typical bar-food fare and includes Brewnuts Baller Bread Pudding and root beer floats. While prioritizing women’s sports, the owners plan to embrace the Cleveland sports scene, as well. “A huge portion of the women’s sports fanbase is male. This space is for everyone,” Eclarin told TheLand .
OREGON
The Sports Bra
2512 NE Broadway, Portland, OR 97232
thesportsbrapdx.com | @thesportsbrapdx
The OG of women’s sports bars truly centers women. It serves spirits from a women-owned distillery and prioritizes beer and wine from women-owned establishments. Owner Jenny Nguyen is a chef, so the menu is top notch featuring delicious vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options. With a huge and thriving community, the space is special. It has just one downfall, though—it’s tiny. Get there early or prepare to wait.
PENNSYLVANIA
Title 9
5997 Centre Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15206
title9pgh.com | @title9pgh
The newest member of the women’s sports bar club held its grand opening May 23. Owner Sherree Goldstein began the concept with pop-up watch parties. Located in the East Liberty neighborhood—and next door to Goldstein’s other venture, Square Cafe—Title 9 has garage doors that open onto the street for a bright and airy vibe. “Our mission is to create a space where the community can come together to exclusively watch and support women’s sports,” Goldstein told Visit Pittsburg h .
TEXAS
1972
2530 Guadalupe St., Austin, TX 78705
1972pub.com | @1972pub
With a large outdoor space and a commitment to showing women’s sports, 1972—named after the year Title IX was enacted—is hosting drag bingo nights, weekly trivia competitions and reveling in women’s sports. Co-founder Debra Hallum says she and Marlene du Plessis visited Rough & Tumble in Seattle and had to open a version of their own. “It was amazing to see the place full of this community to support women’s sports. We looked at each other and said, ‘We really need to see if Austin can support a place like this.’”
Side Peace Sports Bar
4218 Washington Ave., Houston, TX 77007
@sidepeacesportsbar
Co-owned by Julie Mabry, who owns Houston’s lesbian establishment Pearl Bar, Side Peace is right next door. It boasts a festive patio, large comfy couches, high tables and a big screen. It has a nightclub feel and there will be dancing at night. It isn’t a place that exclusively shows women’s sports—you can expect to see the Astros or Rockets, too—but it is one that focuses on its female clientele.
WASHINGTON
Rough & Tumble
5309 22nd Ave. NW, Seattle, WA 98107
roughandtumblepub.com | @roughandtumblepub
Seattle is a solid women’s sports town thanks to the Storm, Reign, the University of Washington’s nationally-ranked teams and a new USL-W soccer franchise—which is co-owned by Rough & Tumble! On the menu, two of its most popular dishes are named after Seattle sports icons, as well: The Bird, a fried chicken sandwich in honor of basketball legend Sue Bird, and The Pinoe, a salmon cake sandwich with house-made tartar sauce for soccer star Megan Rapinoe. The bar has turned into a popular events space, too, featuring sports-related movie screenings, book signings and more.
On Deck
Rikki’s (Summer 2025)
2223 Market St., San Francisco, CA 94114
rikkisbarsf.com | @rikkisbarsf
The Dub (Fall 2025)
105 W. 9th St., Kansas City, MO 64105
thedubkc.com | @thedubkc
Athena Keke’s (Summer 2025)
222 Greene Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11238
@athenakekesnyc
Wilka’s (2025)
241 Bowery, New York, NY 10006
wilkasnyc.com | @wilkasnyc
Pitch The Baby (Summer 2025)
600 19th Ave E, Seattle, WA 98112 @pitchthebabybar
In The Hole
One Of Us
San Diego, CA
oneofusbar.com | @oneofusbar
Jolene Jolene
Atlanta, GA
jolenejoleneatl.com | @jolenejoleneatl
Tomboys
Des Moines, IA
@iowasfirstwomenssportsbar
The Sports Bra
Indianapolis, IN
thesportsbraofficial.com | @thesportsbraindy
The Sports Bra
Boston, MA
thesportsbraofficial.com | @thesportsbraboston
The Sports Bra
St. Louis, MO
thesportsbraofficial.com | @thesportsbrastlouis
The Sports Bra
Las Vegas, NV
thesportsbraofficial.com | @thesportsbravegas
Raise The Bar
Columbus, OH
raisethebarcbus.com | @raisethebarcbus
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