Emerging brands and platforms make a splash in latest SponsorUnited NIL report

The GIST: On Wednesday, data insights platform SponsorUnited released its 2024–2025 NIL Endorsements Report, which affirms what we already know: Women athletes, especially basketball players, are consistent winners in terms of engagement, hence their skyrocketing NIL deals. Let’s jump in.

📈 The number of deals grew 1% YoY, but growth in specific industries indicated major strategic shifts. Technology deals saw a 29% YoY boost, while deals for non-alcoholic beverages — an industry expected to double in value by 2034 — grew 19% YoY.

• Despite having the most total deals, retail and apparel deals are decreasing. Brands are also choosing long-term, athlete-driven deals over short ones, especially with women’s stars now bringing their clout to the WNBA.

🏀 Seven of the top 10 most-endorsed athletes play basketball, with the most-endorsed players boasting 127 total deals. UNC’s RJ Davis leads the pack with 25, while USC’s JuJu Watkins leads women athletes with 20. UConn star Paige Bueckers only has 16, but she enjoyed the most social growth of any athlete and generated the highest engagement on branded posts. Easy buckets.

📱 While Instagram is the most popular platform for college athletes, TikTok content saw outsized interactions. And once again, women athletes garner the most engagement: Women created 75% of the top 150 most engaging posts.

Zooming out: While savvy companies like Raising Cane’s and Nintendo are leveling up by recruiting women athletes to lead personalized campaigns, 1% deal growth YoY isn’t enough. There’s more room for brands to team up with popular women athletes, and as previous data showed, there’s ample opportunity and ROI outside of women’s hoops. Time for a full-court press.