SponsorUnited shares insights on WNBA and NWSL sponsorship revenue

The GIST: This week, data insights platform SponsorUnited (SU) shared new intel with The GIST about revenue generation in the WNBA and NWSL. After comparing revenue and existing deals, the findings illustrate the leagues’ immense YoY growth while still underlining the remaining gap when compared to men’s sports. Moving the needle.

The details: Using its AI–powered sponsorship transparency tool called SPND, SU found that in 2024, WNBA teams generated $76M in sponsorship revenue through 551 deals, while NWSL squads hauled in $75M through 445 deals. That’s an average deal size of $138K in the WNBA and $169K in the NWSL.

• Although the two leagues nearly brought in the same amount of revenue, the NWSL did it through significantly fewer deals by attracting heavier spenders such as Ally.

The growth: Last year, SU found WNBA teams averaged 42 deals, an 8% YoY boost and a 43% increase since 2022. The NWSL averaged 35 deals per team in 2023, a massive 22% YoY jump. And overall, both the WNBA and NWSL saw a 19% YoY increase in the number of deals last year.

• Of course, the sponsorships aren’t always even across teams: The Indiana Fever and Washington Mystics lead W teams with 65 deals each, a 71% and 51% YoY increase, respectively.

The context: While this marks exponential growth for the women’s game, the men’s side is growing too and benefits from a decades-long head start. In March, SU’s SPND platform calculated the average NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB, or MLS team generates $51M in sponsorship revenue. While this is double their $26M average a decade ago, their progression was slower but more substantial compared to women’s leagues.

The takeaway: Men’s sports are a lucrative space for advertisers to reach broad audiences, but women’s sports provide a lower threshold for entry and outsized returns. Advertisers shelled out $244M to activate in women’s sports last year, a 139% YoY increase.

• While increased sponsorship revenue in these leagues shows where sponsors are allocating their spend, it also indicates where marketers are scouting out space to reach their intended audiences. Hopping on the bandwagon.