According to the association, the number of views across the WNBA’s national television partners ABC, CBS, ESPN and ESPN2 increased by 21 percent this season compared to 2022, while the number of social media views increased by 96 percent to 373 million. Beauty brands are eyeing players’ hyper-engaged online communities and aim to capitalize on the excitement of the sport. “This partnership allows us to reach more of our Gen Z community in an area we now know our consumers are passionate about. “Athletes are the type of people they look up to,” says Diana Valdez, head of consumer affairs for Nyx Professional Makeup USA. “[New York] Liberty had a great season and we were there for those games. “It’s great to be in such a non-obvious category and get such a positive response.”
It took some time for beauty brands to respond to this opportunity. “When people thought of women’s sports before, they didn’t think of beauty. They didn’t realize they were walking hand in hand,” says Taylor Burner, a talent-crossover representative for the Women’s National Basketball Players Association (WNBPA). “[Former All-Star player] “Sheryl Swoopes has been wearing red lipstick on the basketball court since the 1990s.”
WNBA players are eager to find brand partners. Burner says the highest-paid athletes in the WNBA earn a relatively modest $225,000 per year, while a brand deal can bring in $300-$500,000. (In contrast, the highest-paid NBA player is Stephen Curry earned more than $51 million “The good news is that women’s brand deals are generally more lucrative than men’s because it’s a story people want to tell and it drives high engagement,” Burner notes. “The men’s story has been sort of played out.”
Players gain loyal followers
Colie Edison, who joined the WNBA as its first chief growth officer in January 2022, says the WNBA is launching a Player Marketing Agreement program this year to help players secure more deals. For on- and off-court deals, brand partners can approach the WNBA directly by committing to pay a certain amount to each player involved. (This does not prevent players from signing their own individual deals off the field.)
Through this program, Glossier brought WNBA’s Chicago Sky player Izzy Harrison to 200,000 followers on Instagram, X and TikTok. She curated a product line for Glossier and was featured on social media. Along with her jersey and basketball shoes, she wears Glossier foundation, eyebrow pencil, and eyelash extensions when she runs. “In the WNBA, we love beauty, we love looking our best,” she says. “My followers care about the new sneakers I bought [the] The Jordan brand that week, what beauty products I use for my dry skin, or what outfit I wear to the game.”
