How Is the WNBA Reimagining the Sports Marketing Game?

With a boost from newer stars including Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese and Paige Bueckers, the WNBA has surged in popularity in recent years, providing a fresh opportunity for brands to invest in women’s sports.

Also lifted by enhanced media coverage, the WNBA’s 2024 season delivered the league’s most-watched regular season in 24 years, finished with its highest attendance in 22 years, and set records for digital consumption and merchandise sales. The 13 franchises of the league vaulted in value by an average of 180% over the last year, according to research by Sportico.

For brands, WNBA partnerships — either with individual players, particular teams or the league as a whole — offer an opportunity to reach women while championing female empowerment and diversity. Women make up 44% of WNBA fans versus 40% for the NBA, according to YouGov SportsIndex.

According to a study published by sports agency Wasserman in 2023, female sports fans are younger, more highly educated, and more affluent compared to their male counterparts. They are also 54% more aware of sponsors and 45% more willing to buy from team sponsors than men.

With the lines blurring between sports and fashion, brands can also tap into the personalities of WNBA stars, many of whom have sizeable social media followings.

“These girls sit at the intersection of sport, culture and fashion,” Cathy Engelbert, the WNBA’s commissioner, told The New York Times earlier this year.

Dick’s Sporting Goods Extends Partnership With WNBA

Dick’s Sporting Goods in early July announced a multi-year extension to continue as the Official Sporting Goods Retailer and an Official Marketing Partner of the WNBA through the 2028 season. Dick’s is also supporting youth participation in basketball through partnerships with the WNBA’s Jr. initiative and Nike’s “Her Shot” program. Emily Silver, Dick’s chief marketing and athlete experience officer, said, “For a long time, we’ve known that investing in women’s sports is smart business.”

Coach signed on in April as the official handbag partner of the league, with plans to profile the “unique style” of five WNBA players as part of its “Courage to Be Real” campaign. Coach also became the presenting partner of WNBA Pride, which celebrates the LGBTQ+ community. Coach CMO Joon Silverstein said, “We’re excited to partner with this league, an organization that uniquely champions individuality, and to support these courageous athletes who are breaking molds both on and off the court.”

Beauty Brands Also Back the WNBA’s Play

In the beauty category, Sephora, Fenty, e.l.f. Cosmetics, Nyx, Hero Cosmetics, Essie, Covergirl, Milani Cosmetics, and Urban Decay have arrived as sponsors in recent years. The league, launched in 1997, never had an official beauty partner until 2020, when Glossier came aboard.

Sephora’s multi-year contract with the Golden State Valkyries, a new WNBA team, includes naming rights to the team’s training facility, branding on player jerseys, and social media content. San Francisco’s Chase Center, where the Valkyries play their games, will feature Sephora branding and a Sephora Kiosk offering beauty products.

Sephora’s U.S. CMO Zena Arnold said, “Joining forces in our shared Bay Area home underscores the strong alignment between our brands, and we are proud to see Sephora represented in both a physical space and with an organization where confidence and performance thrive.”

Other unique sponsorships secured by the WNBA include dating app Bumble, over-the-counter birth control brand Opill, feminine care brand The Honey Pot Company, hair care brand Mielle Organics, and Kim Kardashian’s shapewear brand Skims.