A Portland, Ore.-based company that claims to be the world’s first sports bar that exclusively televises women’s sports is coming to Maine’s largest city.
The Sports Bra will take over the 118-seat space formerly occupied by Noble Pizzeria & Barbecue, at 476 Stevens Ave. in Portland’s Deering Center neighborhood. The franchise is led by co-owners Ann Freeman and Emily Lesher of Watch Women’s Sports ME LLC.
In a twist, Freeman had identified the Stevens Avenue spot as a possibility the last time the venue changed hands, in 2022, after the closure of Elsmere BBQ. She reached out to Sports Bra founder and CEO Jenny Nguyen, but the timing wasn’t right for the expansion.
This time around, a broker connected Freeman and Lesher with Noble’s owner, Ryan Carey, who suggested his own space might be the perfect, unlisted match.
“Securing this fantastic location for the Sports Bra feels like fate,” said Freeman. “I knew instantly back then that this layout was perfect for a sports bar and the surrounding neighborhood would embrace this concept. Deering Center is an incredible, family-friendly neighborhood, and it has always been an ideal spot to bring my own family for dinner and a drink. It was meant to be.”
An investor purchased the property and will lease it to the Sports Bra. The broker was Bryan Plourde of the Dunham Group.
“I was engaged to scour the market for second-generation restaurant spaces and identifying a handful of solid candidates,” Plourde told Mainebiz. “But having worked with Ryan Carey before, I knew the quality and turn-key nature of his highly successful neighborhood favorite at 476 Stevens Ave. was in a different category. We set up a meeting, the stars aligned, and what followed was exactly the kind of transaction you hope for in this business — a genuine win-win made even better by the realization of just how connected everyone already was through this small community. Good people finding their way to each other is usually how the best deals get done.”
The venue will continue to serve Noble-style pizza for both in-house dining and takeout, alongside a Maine-inspired twist on traditional pub fare.
What’s on the screen
On the screens, the bar will broadcast games from the WNBA, NWSL, PWHL and NCAA sports.
The venue will shine a light on local teams, including the Maine Mayhem women’s tackle football team, the Portland Women’s Rugby Club and local Roller Derby leagues.
It will also broadcast United Women’s Soccer teams such as Maine Footy and the Maine Mystics, as well as the Portland Hearts of Pine women’s team. The squad, whose name has not yet been announced, will kick off its inaugural season in 2027 with the pre-professional USL W League.
Freeman and Lesher are working closely with Carey during the transition, offering current Noble staff members the opportunity to interview for potential rehire. The space will undergo updates to prepare for its grand opening later this year.
The Sports Bra was founded in 2022. Besides Maine’s largest city, its expansion plans announced in 2025 include locations in Boston, Indianapolis, Las Vegas and St. Louis.
