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World-renowned athletes (and fiancées!) Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe are turning their Instagram Live and podcast series into a full-fledged production company.
A Touch More will create scripted and unscripted content that aims to tell the stories of revolutionaries and game-changers, with a particular focus on narratives around identity, activism and underrepresented communities, including LGBTQ+, BIPOC and women.
Bird and Rapinoe, both 2022 Adweek Most Powerful Women in Sports honorees, created A Touch More in partnership with media and commerce company Togethxr, co-founded by Bird alongside top athletes Alex Morgan, Chloe Kim and Simone Manuel. Togethxr specifically targets millennial and Gen Z women and is where “culture, activism, lifestyle, sports and badassery converge.”
“As athletes, we know how powerful our platforms are and the impact we can have on the world,” Bird and Rapinoe said in a statement. “A Touch More is a manifestation of our values and our desire to bring to the surface stories of those who shape and move culture forward. We’re incredibly excited for some of the projects we have in the works and can’t wait to share more about this next chapter.”
Togethxr and A Touch More will work to narrow the coverage gap in sports media. For example, women represent over 40% of all athletes but receive less than 10% of all sports media coverage.
“Megan and Sue both represent the power sport can have on culture. They also know the power of storytelling. It’s a dream come true for Togethxr to partner in bringing this studio to life. We can’t wait for the impact we will make together,” Togethxr co-founder and chief content officer Jessica Robertson said in a statement.
Bird, a five-time Olympic gold medalist and recently retired WNBA superstar, and Rapinoe, a two-time FIFA World Cup winner (and playing towards her third World Cup appearance in 2023), have long made it their mission to elevate the voices of those around them.
Speaking with Adweek last month, Bird said that despite her retirement after 20 years in the WNBA, she still has her “foot on the pedal” when it comes to women’s athletics. She had teased A Touch More ahead of Wednesday’s announcement but hadn’t yet shared details.
“You have to take action as well. There are moments when you can step into the moment and have impact as an investor or starting a company,” Bird said. “This was a way for us to put our money where our mouth is, and to try and build this company that would be able to tell the stories that don’t get the light that they deserve.”
A Touch More is launching with 30 for 30: Pink Card, a four-part audio documentary series coming Dec. 8. Produced by Shima Oliaee, it follows the lives of women in Iran fighting for the right to watch soccer.
In the early days of the pandemic, Bird and Rapinoe launched A Touch More as an Instagram Live and podcast series that took a look at the lives of the superstars under quarantine, and all proceeds went to the non-profit Hunger: Not Impossible.
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