The WNBA announced a multiyear partnership with Skims
The GIST: Following a record-setting season, the WNBA continues to set trends. Today, the basketball league announced a multiyear partnership with Skims that makes Kim Kardashian’s shapewear brand its official underwear partner. A crossover that’s a total knockout.
The details: Through the partnership, Skims will have on-court virtual signage during WNBA national broadcasts, as well as exposure through the W’s social and digital platforms. The shapewear and clothing brand also anticipates WNBA activations leading up to the 2024 season and its All-Star Game, for which Skims is an associate partner.
- This isn’t Skims’ first move in the sports space: Pro athletes debuted its men’s line, and A’ja Wilson modeled for its 2020 Team USA capsule. Sporty spice.
- Plus, Kim K has used her platform to support women’s basketball in the past — she advocated for Brittney Griner’s prison release and posed with future WNBA prospect Angel Reese. But this boils down to business: the 2023 All-Star Game saw a 100% boost in partner activations and 70% in merch sales YoY.
The rationale: The partnership is on-brand for two body-positive companies. Kardashian wants to amplify “our joint values of women empowerment and individual confidence,” and on the W side, commissioner Cathy Engelbert sees the partnership as a smart collab between the popular intimates brand and the league’s cultural and fashion influencers.
The trend: Marketers recognize women are multifaceted consumers, and so are WNBA players and fans. This paves the way for smart partnerships with companies that align on socially-conscious values. Since women athletes drive twice as much engagement on social media, inclusivity is the future, in shapewear and in sports. At last, a solution for every(body).
