Exclusive: Disney Adds Ally, CarMax as NWSL Sponsors as Season Kicks Off

Ahead of this weekend’s National Women’s Soccer League kickoff, Disney Advertising added two sponsors to its sports marketing roster.

Ally and CarMax have officially signed on to sponsor the NWSL on ESPN ahead of the season start on Saturday at 1 p.m. on ABC, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+, with the Kansas City Current taking on Portland Thorns FC.

“Disney is the preeminent sports platform, and we continue to acquire sports rights to provide brands with more meaningful opportunities to intentionally invest across our portfolio,” said Jacqueline Dobies, vp of revenue and yield management at ESPN. “With our new multi-year agreement with the NWSL, we are looking forward to deepening our advertisers’ relationships with a beloved global sport and its spirited fanbase.”

Financial brand Ally will be a Match Presenting Sponsor, covering the 2024 and 2025 NWSL seasons across English and Spanish language Disney platforms.

The brand has an existing sponsorship package with Disney that includes a 90% media investment solely in women’s sports, and the NWSL sponsorship serves as a continued investment to amplify Ally’s commitment to the women’s sports space.

Meanwhile, CarMax joins as the title sponsor of halftime, furthering its existing partnership with the NWSL as the league’s official auto retailer. It will also have visibility across English and Spanish-language Disney platforms, and Disney has also developed custom segments that amplify content highlighting NWSL players. 

Last month, the brand also announced a marquee partnership with reigning champion Gotham FC and serves as the New York/New Jersey club’s jersey-front partner.

The new deals come on the heels of Disney seeing strong demand for women’s sports ad inventory, with the company projected to finish the fiscal year 2024 with a 200% increase in women’s sports revenue over the past four years.

The NWSL has also been experiencing explosive growth, seeing record viewership and attendance last season and adding two new clubs, Bay FC and the Utah Royals, for 2024.

That growth looks to continue, as 2024 marks the first year of a landmark four-year TV rights deal for the NWSL with CBS Sports, ESPN, Prime Video and Scripps Sports.

The partners will combine to nationally broadcast 118 matches across platforms beginning in 2024, with 20 airing on ESPN platforms, including three playoff games on ABC.

“The NWSL’s landmark multi-year rights agreement with ESPN and other media partners is a testament to the growth and momentum of this league. We hope that through our presenting partnership of halftime, we will continue to increase the visibility of women’s sports and these incredible athletes,” said CarMax CMO Sarah Lane. “CarMax is proud to play a part in elevating the NWSL to the platform it deserves through our investments. We hope that other brands will join us in our effort to continue to expand the coverage of the NWSL and women’s sports moving forward.”

The auto retailer is no stranger to the women’s sports landscape; it also serves as a marquee sponsor for the WNBA.