Women’s sports sponsorship deals are growing by double-digits

Sponsorship deals across major women’s North American sports properties increased by 12% year over year during their 2024-25 seasons, growing at a rate almost 50% faster than major men’s pro leagues experienced last year, according to a report from SponsorUnited, a sports and entertainment intelligence platform.

The NWSL and WNBA saw the largest increases in sponsorship deals following years of growing buzz around both leagues, per SponsorUnited, while collegiate and pro athletes in basketball dominated in terms of individual endorsements.

Here are a few other takeaways about brand deals for some of the biggest women’s sports and athletes in North America.

Kicking and sponsoring: The number of sponsorship deals in the NWSL increased by about 19% from the 2023 season to 2024, with brands including Ally Financial, Nike, SeatGeek, Gatorade, and Pepsi activating significantly in the league.

Racing Louisville FC had 92 sponsorships, the highest number in the NWSL, followed by the North Carolina Courage, which counted 61.The Kansas City Current and Angel City FC ranked Nos. 3 and 4, respectively, and the Orlando Pride, the 2024 champions, came in at No. 5.NJ/NY Gotham FC didn’t rank in the top five, but it did recently sign the highest back-of-jersey sponsorship in league history with Dove, beating the record previously set by Bay FC and Trader Joe’s, whose deal is reportedly worth more than $500,000 a year.The introduction of Bay FC and the Utah Royals to the NWSL last year helped boost the number of brand deals in the league.

Alex Morgan, who retired last year, was the only player from the NWSL to make SponsorUnited’s top 10 list of women’s pro athletes by number of endorsements. Tennis players Sloane Stephens and Naomi Osaka and LPGA golfer Lexi Thompson also made the top 10, which is otherwise occupied by WNBA players.

Ball out: The WNBA clocked about a 19% increase in sponsorships, less than one percentage point behind the NWSL. NWSL sponsors Gatorade and Nike are also active in the WNBA, while major brands like State Farm, Microsoft, and Michelob Ultra also have a significant presence in the league.

The Indiana Fever, propelled by rookie star Caitlin Clark, had the most sponsorship deals in the W at 90. The team saw “the highest yearly increase in deals in any women’s league, with a more than 43% increase in sponsorship volume” and more than 20 new sponsorships in 2024, according to the report.The Washington Mystics, Chicago Sky, Connecticut Sun, and Phoenix Mercury rounded out the top five WNBA teams by number of sponsorships.

WNBA rookies cleaned up in terms of individual endorsements last year. Los Angeles Sparks forward Cameron Brink topped the most-endorsed women pros list, Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese came in at No. 3, and Sky center Kamilla Cardoso came in at No. 5. WNBA vets Lexie Brown, Breanna Stewart, and Kelsey Plum made the top 10 as well.

Basketball players also dominated the NIL endorsement rankings, led by UConn’s Paige Bueckers and the University of Southern California’s JuJu Watkins. The only non-hoopers to make the list were University of Florida gymnast Leanne Wong and University of Nebraska track and field athlete Cami Merickel.

Follow back: A few of the big women’s leagues—the WNBA, NWSL, and WTA—outpaced men’s leagues in terms of social follower growth. Those three leagues added more followers than MLS and MLB, while the LPGA beat out the PGA and the NFL. Liga MX Femenil, Mexico’s pro women’s soccer league and the fifth major North American women’s league represented in the report, outpaced the NHL, NBA, and Liga MX.

“For sponsors, this data signals a prime opportunity to invest in leagues with rapidly growing fan bases, particularly as social media becomes a key driver of brand exposure and consumer engagement,” the report found. “The comparison with men’s leagues further contextualizes the momentum of women’s sports, emphasizing their ability to attract new audiences at an unprecedented rate.”