Watch Party PHL is moving full-steam ahead toward opening a women's sports bar in Philadelphia, having raised support from local sports figures and community members.
The group, which convenes watch parties across the city, just raised $71,128 in a Kickstarter campaign to open the bar.Combined with anearlier campaign,the organization has raised $87,700 from more than 200 backers, and intends to open the bar next spring — just before the PGA Championship, FIFA World Cup and MLB All-Star Game come to town.
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According to organizers, the news that Philadelphia is getting a WNBA team in 2030 led to a huge spike in donations — just days before the campaign ended. They also credited the backing of 76ers broadcaster Kate Scott; Kristin Aliberto, a Philly native who plays rugby for the New York Exiles, and Alex Sykes, the wife of comedian Wanda Sykes anda leading advocate for Philly to gain a WNBA team. The couple has proposed calling the team the Philadelphia Sisters.
Watch Party PHL started in April 2024 as a watch party for the title game of the NCAA women's basketball tournament, in which Philly native Dawn Staley coached South Carolina to its third championship. Over a year later, the group now hosts multiple meetups per month throughout the city.
Founder Jen Leary said the group aims to show Philadelphia is a women's sports town, a goal that has resonated with the group's supporters.
"People are are starting to see that Watch Party is that kind of connector to all these things, and in the next couple months, we have a lot of initiatives that we're working on," Leary said. "... I think they're going to be huge for women's sports in this city. I'm really excited that we get to keep this momentum going, especially since the WNBA team isn't starting until 2030. So, we have five years to keep fans engaged, and I think we can do that."
After establishing a brick-and-mortar location, Leary wants Watch Party PHL to be open seven days a week and serve as a cafe and co-working space during the day and as a bar with local brews in the evenings. She wants it to serve a "Philly-centric" menu, including pregame brunches on weekends. She also envisions it having an events space and a podcasting studio.
Overall, she wants it to serve as a hub for women's sports and to be a place where recreation teams can gather after their games and others come to watch major sporting events. She also wants to bring in athletes for panel discussions.
"We want to make sure that we're inviting all sorts of people in at all hours of the day, it's not just strictly alcohol-related," Leary said.
Leary and other organizers are still working on a location and name for the bar, because their first three choices were denied due to trademark issues. From there, they'll develop a new logo and offer equity investor opportunities for the business.
According to Watch Party PHL, their donations have exceeded campaigns to open similar bars. In Atlanta,$35,375 was raised to open Jolene Jolene, and in Denver,$35,597 was raised for the 99er Sports Bar.
Another women's sports bar, Marsha's, is expected to open in Philly by the end of the summer at the former Wooly Mammoth location at 430 South St.