The number of sponsorship deals in women’s professional sports has increased more than 22 per cent year-over-year (YoY), according to SponsorUnited’s latest Women in Sports Marketing Partnerships report.

Confirmed:

• The LPGA leads all women’s sports properties with 1,100 sponsorship deals, increasing its total by 25 per cent YoY
• The Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) saw the biggest YoY increase among all properties, increasing its deals total by 34 per cent
• Gatorade is the most active brand in terms of league sponsorships with 51 deals
• US skier Mikaela Shiffrin and recently retired Angel City goalkeeper Brittany Isenhour had the joint highest number of individual endorsements, with 33 each

Context:

The growth in endorsements is down to the increased media coverage and viewership for women’s sports. That has heightened interest from brands willing to get involved and to sign partnerships with teams, athletes, and leagues.

The LPGA and WTA have now become the first two women’s professional sports properties to surpass 1,000 sponsorship deals each, while the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) has now accumulated more than 500 partnerships for the first time.

Coming next:

Expect the number of sponsorship deals to continue growing, as more women’s sports properties such as the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) and the newly formed Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) land greater visibility through increased media exposure thanks to newly agreed broadcast partnerships.

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