Last year was a banner season for WNBA viewership, and brand spend followed a similar trajectory, according to a report from sports and entertainment sponsorship intelligence platform SponsorUnited.
During the 2024 season, 450 brands spent a total of $76 million on team sponsorships, for a total of 531 deals and an average of 44 deals for each of the 13 teams in the league, according to the report. The average number of deals per team was up 52% compared to the 2022 season.
The growth has been driven by brands in sectors including finance and healthcare, as well as a range of star players from rookies to veterans who are driving strong social engagement, SponsorUnited found.
Big shots: The average sponsorship revenue for a WNBA team last season was $6.3 million, with the Phoenix Mercury bringing in the most revenue from sponsorships thanks to a deal with Bally Bet, the largest team deal in the league.
- The Las Vegas Aces followed the Mercury, according to the report, which was SponsorUnited’s first that focused exclusively on WNBA sponsorships.
- Ally Financial’s sponsorship of the Aces is the third-largest team deal in the league.
- The Indiana Fever ranked third in terms of sponsorship revenue, with partners including jersey-partch sponsor Eli Lilly.
The Fever have the most sponsorship deals of any WNBA team so far this season, with 92, per SponsorUnited. They’re followed by the Washington Mystics (65 deals), the Chicago Sky (57 deals), the New York Liberty (56 deals), and the Mercury (52 deals). The Fever also have the most social media followers, followed by the Aces, the Sky, the Los Angeles Sparks, and the Dallas Wings.
Categorically: Brands in the financial services category accounted for the most team sponsorship revenue last season, according to data in the report generated by SponsorUnited’s AI pricing tool, SPND. Finance, healthcare, insurance, and gaming companies contributed more than $50 million in WNBA team sponsorship revenue in 2024, per the report.
- Ally, Gainbridge, and Robinhood made up 40% of spend in the financial category.
- Ally represented 23% of total brand spend in the W last year, and became a league-level sponsor this year.
- Coach, Booking.com, Emirates, and Evernorth Health Services became first-time league partners this year.
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Engagement party: Sky forward Angel Reese, who’s in her second season, and Liberty forward Breanna Stewart, a ninth-season vet, have had the most endorsement deals of any WNBA athlete in the past 12 months, according to SponsorUnited. Sparks forward Cameron Brink and Sky center Kamilla Cardoso, both in their sophomore seasons, followed with 20 deals each. Wings rookie guard Paige Bueckers took spot No. 5 with 18 endorsements.
Bueckers leads the league when it comes to brand engagement metrics, per the report, delivering 4.9 million engagements on branded posts in the last 12 months. She’s followed by Reese, Brink, and Fever guard Caitlin Clark. SponsorUnited also ranked Cardoso and Sky guard Hailey Van Lith in the top 10 in terms of providing social ROI for brands, with first- and second-year players making up more than half of that list. The vets included Stewart, Sparks guard Kelsey Plum, Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu, and Golden State Valkyries forward Monique Billings.
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