Boomers have seen the least overall movement on engagement. But among young people, it’s clear that the WNBA is making quite meaningful progress: As of the end of 2023, nearly 1 in 5 (17%) Gen Z adults reported engaging with the league on a weekly basis.
Morning Consult’s Brand Intelligence data also shows that users of some of today’s most culture-driving platforms are interacting with the WNBA at notable rates too. Snapchat and X (formerly Twitter) users are more likely to engage with the WNBA than the average U.S. adult. When it comes to streaming, the same is true of Max and Apple TV+ users. While Amazon Prime Video just extended its rights deal with the league, those platforms would be wise to seek out other ways to create additional content around women’s basketball given their users' penchant for it.
Beyond social and streaming, gamers (those who play PC or console games) and podcast listeners also regularly engage with the WNBA relative to the general population — evidence that the league’s hearty embrace of both channels is paying off.
With advocates populating so many of the hottest marketing mediums — and upwardly mobile TV viewership and game attendance — the WNBA is primed for all sorts of increasing brand investment, and is well on its way to occupying cultural touchstone space previously only reserved for men's professional leagues.
Of course, sports marketing has always relied on starpower, and the WNBA has a huge influx of just that headed its way. The league’s expected 2024 draft class features some of the biggest stars that collegiate athletics, men’s or women’s, has ever seen.
Players like Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso, whose college careers’ peaked while NCAA athletes were able to profit off of their name, image and likeness for the first time, will bring millions of social media followers and a roster of blue-chip brand partners with them to the next level.
But it doesn’t end there. These women are already commanding features in Vogue. They’re getting the meme and thirst trap treatment on every social media platform. Legends like Lebron James and Shaquille O'Neal are repeatedly shining spotlights on their prowess. Simply put, they’re being platformed in a way that’s rarely been seen before in the context of women’s sports.
Ultimately, women and sports — whether they’re playing or watching them — are having a moment right now. The WNBA can turn it into a movement by continuing the prolific promotion of these next-up athletes, alongside its existing stars.
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