Bumble partners with WNBA for multiyear sponsorship

The GIST: Women-first dating app Bumble is firmly embracing its sporty era. After past collabs in the e-sports and NIL spaces, the app announced a multiyear partnership with the WNBA last Wednesday The move followed a Bumble survey that helped it realize its users are all about love and basketball.

The details: The new sponsorship makes Bumble the league’s first official dating app partner, and the companies kicked off their collab with All-Star Weekend activations hosted by popular WNBA player Sydney Colson. The Las Vegas Ace also hosted a meet-and-greet with fans on behalf of the brand on Saturday. A whole new meaning to pickup game.

The background: Last July, Bumble commissioned a survey through Censuswide that fielded responses from about 1.5K U.S. adults aged 18 to 75. Some questions centered around opinions about sports, which led the app to some interesting findings.

• For respondents aged 18 to 24, basketball was the top sporting event chosen for an exciting first date. And more than 61% of respondents in that age range said it’s important that their partner values men’s and women’s sports equally. About damn time.

• Plus, Gen-Z and Millennials were found to have strong connections with their favorite sports teams, with half of respondents aged 18 to 34 saying that being a fan of their teams is an important part of who they are.

The alignment: Although Bumble and the WNBA are great at fostering online communities, both orgs recognize that IRL connections are key to lasting relationships. The partnership also makes sense because Gen Z has been proven to swarm to both Bumble and the WNBA — more Zoomers know and love Bumble compared to older peeps, and the WNBA’s biggest age demo is 18 to 34.

• Plus, the dating app noted to The GIST that shared values deeply matter in the 2024 dating space, which is something WNBA fans can agree on. A slam dunk.