Luxury and elevated retail brands cater to WNBA and NWSL fans with timely partnerships

The GIST: While luxury retail brands have long been drawn to sports with affluent fanbases like tennis and golf, the industry is now seeing opportunities in women’s sports leagues like the WNBA and NWSL. Let’s take a closer look at two recent sponsorships that illustrate why it's smart to target women’s basketball and soccer fans.

The basketball fan: The league attracts a young, diverse, and digitally-savvy audience: The age 18 to 34 bracket comprises 47% of all WNBA fans. And while we know Gen Z fans love basketball, they also love luxury brands: By 2035, the generation will account for 40% of the global personal luxury goods market.

The soccer fan: Historically, footy fans have been predominantly male and white, but the sport’s fandom is increasingly becoming more diverse. Notably, women soccer fans’ average household income is $80K and 47% have graduated college, aligning with the traditional demographics of affluent sports like tennis and golf.

The partnerships: On Monday, Coach announced that as part of its multiyear deal with the W as its official handbag partner, it would sponsor five WNBA draftees on the orange carpet, including No. 1 pick Paige Bueckers. Jewelry brand Kay Jewelers also activated around Bueckers at the draft.

• And yesterday, California-based accessible luxury jewelry brand Gorjana announced a partnership with the USWNTPA to specifically team up with USWNT athletes Ally Sentnor, Sam Coffey, and Gisele Thompson. The sponsorship also includes athlete styling for the NWSL Players’ Ball in July. How glamorous.

Zooming out: While there’s still plenty of luxury brands catering to sports with traditionally affluent fandoms, sports like tennis and golf still struggle with diversifying their fanbases. The NWSL and WNBA appeal to broader demographics — and considering the growing purchasing power of Black Americans, Hispanic Americans, and Gen Z, it’s time luxury brands start investing in reaching them.

• As these companies shift their strategy, they should consider teaming up with new leagues, teams, and athletes to get in front of loyal women’s sports fans who are primed to spend in their industry. They should also creatively amplify their partnerships through other media, like the many brands that have dressed Angel Reese in Vogue. It’s always been both.