SponsorPulse highlights recent data showing overlap between WNBA, beauty fans

The GIST: Yesterday, sports data insights platform SponsorPulse (SP) highlighted its recent report that tracks WNBA fan behavior in relation to the beauty industry. This, combined with May data from Sports Innovation Lab (SIL), proves the fascinating overlap between W fans, luxury fashionistas, and makeup lovers. A slam glam dunk.

WNBA fan profile: An estimated 37% of Americans aged 13 to 64 engaged with the WNBA each year, translating to 78.5M consumers. Through the first half of 2024, when Caitlin Clark and her cohort entered the chat, W engagement levels soared to 46% — the league’s highest ever and a 70% jump since SP began tracking in 2019.

• Of these fans, an estimated 30.6M tuned in weekly and 20.4M expressed excitement about the W and its offerings. And building on previous data from women’s sports fans, 9.4M of them are likely to be influenced by a league sponsorship, reporting higher purchase consideration and brand favorability.

The luxury opportunity: About half of Americans purchasing luxury products have engaged with the W in the past year, 35% more than the general population. Every WNBA tunnel walk and Orange Carpet rollout has become a fashion moment, which is something brands like Coach are embracing along with opportunities to reach Gen Z.

The beauty overlap: An estimated 19%-22% of beauty and luxury purchases showed increased purchase consideration for WNBA sponsors, an 83% lift above the general population. On average, 40% of Americans watch women’s basketball year-round, but among those who buy beauty products, that surges to 49% and rises to 62% among weekly beauty buyers.

• This compounds the aforementioned SIL data that found W fans were 3x more likely to buy Fenty than average consumers, while NY Liberty fans were 4x more likely to buy from Rihanna’s brand. Mintel shared similar findings this year — 87% of W fans interested in beauty are more likely to support brands that sponsor women’s sports.

Zooming out: Beauty companies are picking up on these opportunities across women’s sports, with labels teaming up with leagues like the NWSL and individual athletes like Ilona Maher. But these brands are also realizing the underserved community of women fans across men’s sports — consider E.l.f.’s focus on women fans in the NFL, the Premier League, and NASCAR.

• Brands like Sephora are seizing the women’s sports opportunity, but they’re also considering women who watch men’s sports. The company’s involvement in Netflix’s Running Point is fictional, though the commanding stat cited in the show is (almost) real: Women comprise a little over a third of people who viewed or attended an NBA game as of January 2025. A buildable foundation.