SponsorUnited releases first-ever report on NWSL sponsorship revenue

The GIST: Yesterday, data insights platform SponsorUnited followed up its inaugural WNBA Partnerships Report with its first-ever NWSL Partnerships Report. It includes insights from the 2024 and 2025 season so far, including which brands are investing in the women’s game and the teams that are driving the league’s value. So much green.

💰 Sponsorship revenue across NWSL teams reached $75M for the 2024 season. Teams bagged 441 total sponsorship deals and 401 brand sponsors across 167 distinct categories, which is 16% more categories compared to 2022. The average team generated $5.4M in sponsorship revenue and banked an average $170K per brand deal.

• The NWSL welcomed 200 new brand partners in 2024, with half of the league’s top 15 highest-spending deals from newcomers. And among the top 10 new sponsors by total spend, three brands — KC Current stadium rights holder CPKC, multi-team sponsor United Way, and Bay FC founder Sixth Street — spent over 90% of their pro sports sponsorship budget in the NWSL.

⚽ Three NWSL teams are responsible for nearly half of this revenue. Angel City FC (ACFC), the Current, and San Diego Wave FC drove 46% of total league sponsorship revenue in 2024. While this shows the impressive marketing power of these teams, there’s risk in the league’s sponsorships being disproportionately distributed.

• The NWSL’s highest-valued team continues to demonstrate its brand value through savvy marketing: ACFC outperformed 15 MLS and 25 MLB teams in sponsorship revenue on a per-game basis. The club generated $29 per social follower, much higher than the $8 per NY Yankees fan and $13 per LA Dodgers fan.

⚕️ Healthcare led all categories in spending, followed by finance and transportation. Healthcare partnerships drove the most revenue, including Bay FC’s $13M jersey patch deal and the Utah Royals’ Intermountain Health agreement. The next biggest category was finance, spurred by numerous regional banks and credit unions, then transportation in third largely thanks to CPKC.

💸 Racing Louisville leads the league in sponsorship deals. Though ACFC generated the most revenue (almost $20M), Louisville has secured the most sponsorship deals with 94, followed by the North Carolina Courage (61), Current (47), and ACFC (43). ACFC’s Ali Riley led players with the most deals at 11 — even we teamed up with her last year. Tiny mic, big impact.