Jen Barnes inside Rough & Tumble Pub in Seattle. | Jane G. photo
What you probably already know: When it opened three years ago, Rough & Tumble — along with The Sports Bra in Portland — was the first women-themed sports bar in the United States. Since then, owner Jen Barnes has launched a dizzying array of partnerships with more than a dozen sports teams and leagues with the goal of promoting women’s sports and fandom. They include:
• Several women’s teams at the University of Washington.
• The Seattle Reign, Seattle Storm, Seattle Torrent and Seattle Kraken.
• A promotional deal with 3XBA, a 3-on-3 women’s basketball league in its second season.
• Semi-professional soccer team Ballard FC and pre-professional soccer team Salmon Bay FC (Rough & Tumble is an investor in Salmon Bay).
• Partnerships with women’s sports media powerhouses The GIST and Togethxr to advance and promote women’s sports and create space for women fans.
Rough & Tumble has also become the official headquarters for The 85ers, an LLC formed by 17 members of the inaugural 1985 U.S. Women’s National soccer team.
“I have a vision for building the women's sports industry sector in a very holistic way,” Barnes says. “There's this ecosystem that Rough & Tumble plays a really important part of, and that is building a fan base.”
Why it matters: The global women’s sports industry is estimated at about $2.35 billion, and global media coverage dedicated to women athletes is projected to exceed 20% this year, four times what it was three years ago. Barnes and Rough & Tumble are at the center of it. “Let's create the thing that we want because the world is our oyster when it comes to women's sports,” Barnes says, adding that Rough & Tumble is increasingly becoming an important promoter of athletes and sports, especially for the next generation of fans. “From day one, the goal has always been to create a space where people can come together and be fans of women's sports by reducing barriers to access and viewability.”
What it means: Barnes likes to joke that, when Rough & Tumble opened, many people considered it a lesbian bar. They didn’t understand the concept of a “women’s-themed sports pub.” Rough & Tumble shows men’s and women’s sports of all kinds, though at least half the screens always feature women’s sports. Barnes notes that there was no proof of concept when she started and she admits to moments of self-doubt. “But we embraced something that we knew was going to work. It’s been exceptionally rewarding.”
What happens next: Barnes envisions national and international expansion as she prepares to open her second location in Seattle on Dec. 5. She co-chairs the inclusion committee for SEA 26, which is helping organize Seattle’s six FIFA World Cup 2026 matches, and is in talks with national and international brands and media outlets actively investing in women’s sports. She wants to make one thing clear: Rough & Tumble, and women’s sports in general, aren’t just for women. A McKinsey & Co. study notes that fans who follow only women’s sports constitute just 1% of the total sports fan population. Barnes says Rough & Tumble is “purposefully built for equality.” “I would just encourage anybody who hasn't watched women's sports to try it,” she says. “They’re some of the best athletes in the world. There's a lot fewer teams, fewer leagues, fewer positions on those teams. So, you have to be the best of the best of the best.”
