Training facilities are becoming women’s sports’ next sponsorship engine, Populous report finds
The 16-page white paper was produced by Populous, which has worked on several of the facilities used as examples in their findings, in partnership with Comeback Ventures, an advisory firm that provides strategic management services to clients across sports, media and entertainment.
Key points
- “When approached strategically, training facilities become year-round engines for partnerships, content, community engagement, and brand storytelling.” This is mutually beneficial for teams and sponsors, since women’s sports fans tend to be more engaged with the brands sponsoring their favorite players and teams.
- The white paper argues that these models were developed when broadcast exposure was the dominant form of sports marketing, which means that brands and teams still rely on a set of metrics, including linear television viewership and static logo exposure, that don’t fully encompass the potential value tied to training facilities.
- This will likely grow as more teams invest in these facilities, which require outstanding capital that can be fueled by these partnerships, and as the women’s sports space continues to grow.
Sponsors in professional women’s sports, according to the report, are finding ways to establish immersive engagement through their partnerships, rather than treating brand exposure as static inventory, signaling new opportunities for teams and their sponsors.
Additional details
- Whether sponsoring a new league such as Unrivaled or investing in a unique opportunity such as the first performance center shared by WNBA and NWSL teams, women’s sports sponsors are leveling up.
- According to a white paper that global design firm Populous and advisory firm Comeback Ventures will release Thursday, companies are reimagining what sponsoring these facilities looks like.
- According to the white paper, the Golden State Valkyries have developed “one of the most deliberate partnership strategies in women’s sports.” One clear example is when Sephora U.S.
- A report by MarketCast last year found that, for example, 75 percent of NWSL fans are likely to try products from official sponsors compared to MLS fans, and, similarly, 58 percent of WNBA fans are likely to support official league sponsors compared to 45 percent in the NBA.
- “As more organizations evaluate these investments, there is a growing opportunity to think more expansively about the role these facilities can play, not only in supporting athlete performance, but also in strengthening partnerships, deepening community engagement, and creating long-term business value,” the white paper reads.
How this summary was made: extractive summary — built from the sources' own reporting. It is drawn only from the reporting of the sources listed below — read the originals for full detail. How we summarize →
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