PWHL shares impressive growth numbers as new brand partners embrace the league’s value

The GIST: The PWHL is getting bigger and better each year and has the data to prove it. This week, the league shared metrics from its third regular season that illustrate a continued rise in fan demand. And that interest is driving more and more sponsorships, with new categories constantly joining the fold.

• Let’s review what the latest PWHL data indicate and what brands should keep in mind if they’re exploring the marketing opportunity in women’s hockey. An easy celly.

The numbers: In its third straight year of attendance growth, the PWHL regular season drew over 1.1M fans, a 28% jump over last season, including the playoffs. Average attendance at all primary home venues surged 35% YoY, with its 16-stop Takeover Tour drawing 200K fans. And fans want more: There was a 500% demand increase for community hockey programming.

• The league saw impressive YoY gains on social media — total impressions across platforms jumped 150% over the previous season to 682M. Web traffic also increased, rising 66% YoY, 89% coming from new users.

• This was especially evident on YouTube, where the league has streamed all three seasons for global access. Live YouTube viewership jumped 77% YoY, with viewers hailing from 154 countries (up from 106), and 61% of channel viewers were new. How about a global Takeover Tour?

The brand response: The PWHL banked a robust brand portfolio in its first season (and even earlier buy-in from heavy-hitters like Canadian Tire), but its roster grew further in year three. League and team partnerships grew 35% YoY to encompass 81 corporate partners, including league newcomers Aero (Nestlé), DoorDash, and Aveeno.

• This season, brands sought opportunities as team partners, including Alaska Airlines, Good Protein, labor union LiUNA!, health market Organika, Canadian sandwich chain Mr. Sub, childcare brand Tommee Tippee, and Sprouts Farmers Market. Brands also engaged fans through in-game activations, with Canadian Tire and Midea sponsoring sign-making stations.

Zooming out: It was a big year for the league, thanks to two new expansion teams, a bigger Takeover Tour, and many PWHL players winning gold at the Olympics — which sparked a 190% YoY jump in merch sales compared to the same time last year. Clearly, word is spreading, and one big takeaway is that it’s spreading far beyond the league’s eight home markets.

• Social media has helped the PWHL grow, and the Olympics put the game on the biggest possible stage. A lot of new categories, especially local brands on the Canadian side, want in on women’s hockey. We’re seeing a rich diversity in brand partners big and small, something Explore Edmonton recommended through its own experience. Local brands, global impact.