Sponsoring women’s sports is just good business (and the WNBA is your best investment right now)

Have you ever watched the show “Dragons Den”, and there’s an amazing business opportunity that’s being presented - and know it’s a good idea, but none of the Dragons can see it, so none are investing.  

That’s what it feels like to see big brands still not invest in Women’s sports sponsorship.  

So like any good entrepreneur, let me present you with the numbers.  

Women’s Basketball and Soccer remain the biggest revenue generating sports. Just last year, match day, broadcast and commercial revenue exceeded 1.28 billion USD for the first time. This year, Deloitte expects that number to be 2.35 billion USD (almost 50% higher).   

Back in 2022, the market was worth $692 million. So that’s a 240% growth in four years.    

To break that down in an ROI sense, a study found that for every $1 invested by a corporate sponsor, they got $7.29 back in customer value. 86% of brands who do invest say women’s sports sponsorship has met or exceeded their expectations.  

Nike has been a big supporter of women's sports from the get-go and they found that NWSL fans were 2.5 times more loyal to the brand, and WNBA fans were 3.4 times more loyal because of it.  

But even with alllll the numbers out there and available, want to know the #1 reason brands say they sponsor women’s sports? Social responsibility. Which is funny because brands who invest now aren’t doing women’s sports any “favours”...and early investors like VISA, AT&T, and Nike get that.   

Let’s be real, investing in women’s sports right now is not “socially good”, it’s just good for business.  

And the best in the business right now is Women’s basketball, aka the WNBA.  

Women’s Basketball Sponsorships 

The WNBA is blowing up  

• It accounts for bringing in 44% of the revenue from women's sports (next highest is women’s soccer that accounts for 35%) 

• Theres been a 322% increase in global searches  

• Jersey sales increased 170% 

• 48% increase in attendance  

• WNBA games averaged 1.32 million viewers   

• On social, WNBA accounts saw 157 million video views during the first week of the season 

Why now?   

• The talent; people are tuning in to watch Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese and Paige Bueckers break records 

• WNBA games are being broadcasted on more networks 

• There’s been an overall increased investment in the league but we’ve still got a long way to go  

The Key Sponsors  

• Skims is a league-level sponsor, and their ads during the WNBA season were 3,309% more effective than the average WNBA advertiser, them alongside Oura and Carvana were the most effective sponsors in 2024 

• Nike is the official apparel and footwear partner and also sponsors teams and star players like Angel Reese and their ads perform 166% above average  

• Marcos Pizza, Popeyes and Papa Johns saw the most ad engagement during the NCAA Basketball tournament  
• Glossier became the first “beauty” sponsor for the WNBA back in 2020 but since then, Maybelline, Fenty, Urban Decay, Sephora, Covergirl and Milani have also joined; some do players makeup before the games to show off the longevity of their products (makeup that stays on for the whole game) 
• Coach (the official hand-bag partner) and Off-White are notable fashion brands sponsors  
  

• AT&T, Deloitte, Google, and U.S. Bank are massive sponsors of the league  

Brands missing their shot  

You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take, and you miss 100% of the audiences you don’t target. There are many brands leaving money on the table by not sponsoring the WNBA. 

Using Audiense we can compare how much the WNBA audience loves a certain brand, compared to the rest of the people in the US. These are the brands that stand out: 

• Paris Hilton shows up as a high and unique interest for this WNBA audience, and her own brands like Parívie or Paris Hilton Fragrances would make amazing WNBA sponsors (Khloe Kardashian also shows up meaning her brand Good America would also make a nice match and her sister Kim has already seen so much success with her Skims/WMBA sponsorship) 

• Wholefoods would make an interesting partner for the WNBA as there is clear audience overlap; Whole Foods shoppers prioritize healthy, organic, natural foods and care about sustainability, and personal wellness and they look a lot like the WNBA fans that are active and sports focused and many players are outspoken about their nutrition and healthy lifestyles, it’s a great match  

• Southwest Airlines and JetBlue should be sponsors based on audience interest (but only Delta is sponsoring the WNBA right now, which isn’t a strong match with this audience like the other two airlines are)  
• Etsy is also up there as one of this audiences top brands; so many Etsy vendors create merch for the WNBA and this sponsorship could be an opportunity to skyrocket sales 
  

• Amazon Music, who currently sponsors F1 and Esports should diversify their sponsorship deals and make a deal with the WNBA because they show having that strong audience overlap as well  

Sign up for Audiense to see if your brand would be a good sponsor fit, not just for the WNBA but for any female sports league/team/player.  

Do WNBA fans look like your target audience?  

The WNBA audience is young, energetic, and deeply rooted in sports culture. Most of them are in their 20s and early 30s, and while there’s a slight male majority overall, some segments lean strongly female. They’re mainly based in the US, with hotspots in cities like Chicago, LA, Atlanta, and New York. 

At their core, this crowd lives and breathes sports - especially basketball, but also baseball, soccer, music, and pop culture. There’s a massive NBA crossover here: they follow all the big names, from LeBron to KD, and they love ESPN and the NFL too. Many are also big on hip-hop and the streetwear scene; think Lil Baby, Polo G, and Overtime. 

Personality-wise, they’re outgoing, cheerful, and love to be part of a community. They enjoy life to the fullest but still value structure and a sense of belonging. They’re not just watching from the sidelines either, they’re coaching, mentoring, and giving back wherever they can. 

Online, they’re glued to their phones, most active in the evenings and late at night, and they’re chatty, sharing, replying, and amplifying content more than the average fan. 

Within this big fan base, you’ll find a mix of clusters: high school hoops fans, dedicated girls’ basketball coaches, family sports mentors, hardcore NBA junkies, and people who split their loyalty between football and basketball. 

All in all, it’s a vibrant, hype-driven community that loves good stories, loves to share them, and wants to see their sports, and their heroes, win big. 

So, what’s the takeaway?  

Women’s sports -  and the WNBA in particular, should no longer be a “second thought” on your sponsorship plan. They’re an undeniable business win.  

The audience is there, the loyalty is there, the cultural momentum is definitely there,  and like any good Dragons Den pitch, the numbers speak for themselves. 

Brands like Skims, Nike, and Glossier are already cashing in on this loyal, hype-driven fanbase. And yet, so many brands are still standing on the sidelines, watching everyone else score.

The next wave of sports fans are young and ready to support brands that show up for the athletes and teams they love. The only question left is: are you going to be the brand they cheer for... or the one they forget? 

Don’t sleep on women’s sports. Invest now, and reap the rewards for seasons to come. 

Sign up for your free trial of Audiense, and vet any sponsorship with the click of a button.