The main point: The WNBA is currently going through a period of transformation following a highly successful season, raising questions about what this growth means for league sponsorship. A report by data platform Relo Metrics released today delves into how brands are benefiting from their investments in women’s basketball. Validation.
🐣 The 2024 rookie class made a big impact. Indiana Fever games accounted for 45% of total broadcast value, with Gainbridge being one of the major beneficiaries of Caitlin Clark’s influence. Despite having less logo exposure than other naming rights sponsors, Gainbridge surpassed all other financial institutions in sponsor media value (SMV).
In addition, out of the WNBA’s 13.6M mentions across digital channels (a 571% increase YoY), 35% featured one of seven standout players from this season’s rookie class — including Clark, Angel Reese, Kamilla Cardosa, Aaliyah Edwards, Cameron Brink, Rickea Jackson, and Kate Martin. The future looks bright.
💪 The WNBA achieved record SMV numbers in 2024, generating $136M during the regular season, with Nike leading the way at $31.2M. Excluding Nike, partners still averaged an SMV of $4M, with AT&T ($12M) and Michelob Ultra ($9.3M) making up the top three sponsors.
🏀 The WNBA matched NBA viewership but exceeded NBA engagement levels. Throughout the 2024 season, the WNBA had comparable viewership to the NBA’s 2023-2024 season in the first 11 weeks. Notably, the W outperformed the NBA in Week 6 viewership, especially during the game between the Sky and the Fever in June, which drew 2.1M viewers.
Furthermore, WNBA fans engaged more with team-owned content compared to NBA fans, with the W averaging 272.24 engagements per 1K followers, in contrast to the NBA’s 17.07. This indicates a high level of quality and quantity in WNBA fandom — a dream for any brand.
