Long Beach’s newest sports bar, “Watch Me!,” had a successful grand opening that celebrated female athletes and their fans. The bar, located at the Marketplace Long Beach, is California’s first establishment primarily dedicated to broadcasting women’s sports. Co-owned by Jax Diener and Emma Eddy, the bar aims to create a welcoming space for all sports fans while highlighting women’s achievements in the sports world.
With a focus on inclusivity and empowerment, “Watch Me!” plans to showcase around 95% of women’s sports games on its 26 flat-screen TVs, with some men’s sports also being broadcast. Inspired by similar women-focused sports bars in Portland, Seattle, and Minneapolis, the owners hope to foster an inclusive community that supports female athletes and promotes diversity.
The recent surge in popularity of women’s sports, including a $2.2 billion media rights deal for the WNBA and equal representation of male and female athletes in the Summer Olympic Games, has led to increased recognition for women in sports. The owners of “Watch Me!” see their bar as just the beginning of a larger movement to celebrate and support women in sports.
The grand opening of “Watch Me!” coincided with the start of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, drawing hundreds of patrons and athletes including Pan Am Games rower Madeleine Focht and WNBA trailblazer Penny Toler. Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson praised the bar’s importance in providing a space for women to see themselves in the sports world and highlighted the city’s role as a venue for the upcoming LA 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
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