WNBA All-Star Brand Partners Don’t Undervalue the League’s Growing Game

Brands showed up for WNBA All-Star weekend just as fans and broadcasters gravitated to a league that’s increasingly made of superstars.

The WNBA and ESPN have been looking forward to this All-Star Weekend since the broadcaster’s NCAA women’s March Madness coverage more than doubled its viewing audience this year from 2022 and ended with nearly 19 million viewers for its championship game. ESPN’s WNBA Draft coverage drew an audience four times larger than the previous record, while regular-season matchups saw their highest viewership in more than two decades—averaging 1.2 million viewers per game and increasing viewership by 177% from last year.

WNBA broadcast partner CBS has aired games nearing or exceeding 2 million viewers, while ION has had three WNBA matchups with audiences of 1 million or more. This all happened as rookie All-Stars Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese set WNBA records for assists in a single game (Clark with 19) and consecutive double-doubles (Reese with 15) and the star-studded Las Vegas Aces and New York Liberty rosters face serious challenges from Connecticut, Seattle, Minnesota and Phoenix.

Just before the All-Star festivities, the media world discovered that the WNBA’s portion of the NBA’s new $76 billion rights deal with Disney, Amazon and NBC came out to roughly $2.2 billion—or roughly six times the value of the W’s current deal with ESPN. Even that figure—which puts the WNBA’s annual take of $200 million a year over 11 years close to the total $240 million value of the NWSL’s then-record-setting women’s soccer broadcast deal from November—seems low to the WNBA’s union and other observers.

But broadcasters aren’t the only ones investing in the WNBA. During this most recent All-Star Weekend, the following brands made their presence felt in Phoenix by bringing some additional heat with robust activations and sponsorship announcements.

Here’s just a sampling of who checked into the game:

AT&T

AT&T signed on as one of the WNBA’s foundational WNBA Changemakers brands in 2020 and has taken its role as a league investor and builder seriously since. 

During All-Star, it used Changemaker Day to introduce local students to leaders from within AT&T during keynote sessions and panel discussions. Its Jr. WNBA x AT&T Series included a basketball clinic and discussion/wellness event hosted by Arielle Chambers that featured both AT&T executives and WNBA players.

Just ahead of the event, AT&T teamed with multi-time WNBA MVP and champion A’ja Wilson, three-time WNBA All-Star and NBA vs. WNBA 3-point Challenge shooter Sabrina Ionescu and touted rookie Kamilla Cardoso. Wilson and Ionescu join AT&T’s new mentorship-focused content series Beyond the Bleachers, while Cardoso adds her story to those of other women in sports for AT&T’s long-running She’s Connected feature.

The brand also gave fans numerous opportunities to meet the players during the event, bringing them into its WNBA Live activation as fans indulged in the multiplayer Slash Court Challenge, got Cabani Manis, made #GRWM videos at Player Poolside Essentials and contributed to a Mural Wall.

“We’ve got a huge responsibility as a major sponsor of the WNBA to set the example,” said Sabina Ahmed, assistant vice president of sponsorships and experiential at AT&T. “There’s still a gap in terms of investment of women in sports, and we want to make sure that you know, these amazing women are getting the support that they deserve.”

Mielle

There are no half-measures for Mielle when it comes to finding athlete and league partners: Only the best will do.

Mielle teamed with Angel Reese when she was on her reigning champion Louisiana State University team. The brand then struck a multi-year deal to become the Official Textured Haircare Product of the WNBA—a league in which 70% of all players have textured hair, according to Mielle brand president Omar Goff. 

In February, Mielle announced it was not only bringing aboard multi-time WNBA MVP and champion A’ja Wilson, but University of Southern California star freshman JuJu Watkins. While the brand was able to put Reese at the center of its From One Queen to Another campaign and in-store displays at Walmart, it had far bigger plans for its second WNBA All-Star Game.

Building off of last year’s installation which was an Instagrammable blend of a crystal-adorned basketball hoop, fragrance bar and throne, this year’s installation came in much larger and surprised fans with a regal appearance from Wilson herself. As Mielle enters a team sponsorship with the WNBA’s Atlanta Dream and tells the story of player-turned-owner Renee Montgomery, it continues approaching the partnership with an unwavering standard of excellence.

“The genesis of it was about making sure that Mielle is a brand that is looking to serve the underserved,” Goff said. “We wanted to make sure that we were highlighting the beauty and the diversity of that in women’s basketball.”

Aflac and Togethxr

Aflac was active during the NCAA’s women’s March Madness tournament and heard the arguments about athlete equity then.

For this year’s WNBA All-Star event, Aflac chipped in $55,000 bonuses to the winners of the WNBA Starry 3-Point Contest and the Kia WNBA Skills Challenge. The winners of the NBA versions of each contest get $60,000 and $55,000 respectively, so Aflac’s $110,000 gets the WNBA much closer to that line. Aflac also teamed with media company Togethxr for a Queens of the Court panel discussion moderated by ESPN’s Andraya Carter featuring WNBA standouts Arike Ogunbowale, Aliyah Boston and Skylar Diggins-Smith, as well as South Carolina coach and Hall of Famer Dawn Staley. 

It was part of a busy weekend for Togethxr, which also joined the mental health media community Mente in hosting a two-day wellness festival that included mobile nail experiences, affirmation stations, CBD sips, guided meditations, sound baths, food, drinks and a game watch party with VIP drop-ins. 

Togethxr also partnered with the Golden State Valkyries WNBA expansion franchise to produce versions of its Everyone Watches Women’s Sports shirts in the team’s proprietary shade of Valkyrie Violet—with Ted Lasso’s Jason Sudeikis putting one on during a guest appearance. Finally, Togethxr hosted Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe’s live installment of their “A Touch More” podcast, recently purchased by Vox Media and featuring Aubrey Plaza and University of Connecticut star Paige Bueckers discussing the rise of women’s basketball.

Google

Google Pixel and OneTeam Partners took the weekend to announce a partnership with the Women’s National Basketball Players Association (WNBPA), the National Women’s Soccer League Players Association (NWSLPA) and the U.S. Women’s National Team Players Association (USWNTPA) that makes Google Pixel as the “Official Mobile Phone and Content Capture Partner of the Players.” 

Going back to building the WNBPA its first-ever players’ lounge at All-Star Weekend 2023, Google Pixel is now extending similar courtesy to players and creators at the WNBPA Google Pixel Players’ Lounge at All-Star Weekend, the NWSL Players’ Party and the USWNTPA Players’ Ball. This weekend’s Players’ Lounge included a VIP suite for relaxation and socialization, a gifting suite with products from women-led brands and the Pixel Portrait Studio with Google’s AI-enabled camera power features like Real Tone and Best Take.

Future events will also feature the Player Portrait studios, allowing players to connect, relax, celebrate and prepare before professional photography sessions.

“Through Pixel, we’re actively increasing visibility and engagement with women’s sports by creating content that amplifies the stories of remarkable athletes and providing innovative ways for fans and players to connect with each other,” said Julia Cheney, Google’s cultural marketing lead. “Our partnership with the WNBPA, NWSLPA and USWNTPA is about showcasing these athletes’ journeys beyond the game and competitions, providing the technology and hospitality that help them shine.”

American Express

A WNBA sponsor since 2010, American Express has become a regular fixture at WNBA Live on All-Star Weekend.

This year’s Amex Experience let fans take interactive quizzes that matched their personality to those of WNBA players, including the Phoenix Mercury’s Kahleah Copper and Sophie Cunningham, the Indiana Fever’s Aliyah Boston and the Dallas Wings’ Arike Ogunbowale. Those personalities all showed up on a gallery wall, but fans could get a printed copy and a shareable social media link. They also got the chance to listen to audio recordings of fan stories told by those same WNBA stars.

Cardholders, however, received the best perks. They got customized T-shirts of their fan personalities, wristbands featuring the year they became a WNBA fan, access to chats and meet-and-greeks with Copper and Boston, a dedicated fast lane to enter the three-point contest and skills competition and a 10% discount on most WNBA All-Star merchandise.

“Our partnerships with both the WNBA and NBA are all about showcasing the value of Amex membership and delivering one-of-a-kind experiences and access for our Card Members and basketball fans,” said Kristina Hunt, vp of global brand sponsorship assets, benefits and operations at American Express. “We’re always looking for ways to innovate and show up authentically around basketball culture, and we take learnings from our sponsorships across both leagues as we continue to evolve and activate in meaningful ways for fans.”

Bumble

Bumble picked All-Star Weekend to announce its multi-year deal to become the league’s first-ever official dating app partner.

The company served as the presenting sponsor of the Orange Carpet at WNBA Live but has bigger plans for the league. While this isn’t Bumble’s first time working with athletes—it sponsored 50 women in sports during the 50th anniversary of Title IX in 2023 and paired with injured Los Angeles Sparks rookie Cameron Brink—this partnership offers behind-the-scenes and Bumble in-app content from WNBA athletes, activations at fan events, WNBA-themed meetups and date nights at WNBA games and events. 

“Partnering with one of the most renowned organizations in women’s sports, the WNBA, is extremely exciting for us and it exemplifies everything Bumble stands for: empowering and spotlighting women’s stories, helping people make connections over shared values and interests and creating fun and safe experiences to bring our community together offline,” said Lidiane Jones, CEO of Bumble.

DraftKings

Even sports betting has been a somewhat inequitable proposition for women’s sports since the Supreme Court paved the way for national legalization in 2018.

But DraftKings saw growing fan enthusiasm, continued demand in the market and a continued dearth of women’s sports marketing on traditional sportsbook screens. Just before All-Star Weekend, it announced its agreement with the league to become the Official Sports Betting and Daily Fantasy Partner of the WNBA.

“We are proud to support the league in its efforts to continue expanding the game,” said Matt Kalish, president of DraftKings North America. “It is a priority for us to deliver the most engaging WNBA content to DraftKings’ platforms, and through our collaboration with the WNBA this season, we will be able to enhance the experience for millions of our customers and WNBA fans.”

This gives DraftKings exclusive rights to league and team IP and marketing, activation and branding rights around WNBA events like All-Star and the playoffs. It will also be presenting partner of the WNBA Postseason Push highlights and social content platform in September.

“The WNBA is growing, expanding across the board and partnering with industry leaders like DraftKings enables us to offer WNBA fans additional ways to engage with their favorite teams and players, responsibly and with integrity,” said Colie Edison, WNBA chief growth officer. “This opportunity for DraftKings to lean in with us to support women’s sports will welcome more fans to the WNBA.”