The Professional Women’s Hockey League is less than 30 months old. On January 1, 2024, the women’s hockey league, after much anticipation, saw the light of day. A modest beginning by all means–the jerseys of six teams only showed the city’s name. No brand logos. No sponsors. No partners. 

Cut to 2025, it’s a different picture altogether. All six teams have a unique branding of their own, thanks to Hockey giant Bauer. The PWHL is just one example of minor leagues drawing on big-money sponsors. But the hockey league’s success marks a turning point in the sports business landscape. Brands are moving beyond the Big Four. 

PWHL has seen rapid growth and driven rapid numbers

PWHL’s success has been jaw-dropping. And brands are taking notice as well. Actually, while some others were skeptical, a few didn’t wait till the first kickoff to jump on the bandwagon.

• Canada Tire was the first to show its trust in the league’s growth. 
• Discover Financial Services joined next. 
• Airsupra joined as the official pharmaceutical partner of the league. 

Woody Creek, the Colorado-based distillery, was the first to partner with the fledgling league. Then,  e.l.f. Cosmetics, Barbie, and Scotiabank joined the bandwagon. Barbie launched co-branded products with ‘Dream It, Do It’ and ‘Crushin’ Limits’ etched on the t-shirts, totes, and tumblers. Gatorade Canada signed women’s hockey star, 24-year-old Sarah Fillier, to its roster. And why not? Across the world, interest in women’s sports has been growing. So, when PWHL offered hockey fans a women’s league, fans responded in force.

• The regular season had 400,000 fans during and around 40K fans during the post-season. 
• 21,105 people attended the Montreal vs. Toronto match in April 2024, setting the attendance record for a women’s hockey match.
• So far, the league has drawn over 925K fans as of now, with hopes of crossing a million soon.

There are also expansion plans on the horizon–Vancouver has already joined as the seventh franchise from the 2025-26 season. In their favor, they got the financial backing of Dodgers owner Mark Walter. That meant the league could broadcast all its games for free to win over a new audience. Paul Gugliucci, Senior Manager of Corporate Partnerships with the PWHL, told Parity Now: 

• 2.9M people watched the opening night.
• YouTube subscribers have grown by over 2,557%.
• YouTube content was viewed over 40 million times.

Gugliucci also noted that the price tag for brands wanting to partner with the league has shot up. And, there is a long queue as well. The case is pretty similar to other sports as well. Take NWSL and Big3 Basketball, for example. Their growth has pulled in brands as well. 

Brands are bullish on NWSL and Big3 Basketball

It was July of 2023. The US Women’s National Soccer Team faced Vietnam. The opening match for the USWNT at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup. By all means, a low-key match without big stakes, that too in an awkward schedule. Yet, 6 million watchful eyes consumed nine minutes of power-packed action. 

Every member of the squad, except one, was part of the NWSL as well. It was an advertisement for the league on a grand scale. The growth of women’s soccer has been steady in the last couple of years, and NWSL, as the top-tier league, leads the revolution. 

Which is why, despite widespread controversy a couple of years ago, bigwigs like Anheuser-Busch, Nike, and Mastercard remain committed. They remain bullish about the league because, despite facing heavy competition from high-profile match-ups in MLB and  CFB, the 2023 NWSL Final was watched by 915,00 fans. The highest in the league.  Sponsors want a share of this success: 

• Nike has been the official kit sponsor of the league since its start, offering $5M to the league per season. 
• Ally Financial is the official banking partner of the league, for an estimated $4M per annum. 
• Amazon joined the bandwagon last year, inking a multi-year sponsorship deal with the league. 

These partnerships prove the NWSL’s expanding commercial landscape. In a similar vein, brands have rallied behind Big3 Basketball. The league established by Ice Cube now boasts companies from Microsoft to Toyota as its partners. 

• Microsoft is the official technology partner of the league and the official jersey patch sponsor.
• Verizon has joined as the presenting partner of the Playoffs and the Championship. 
• Toyota is the official vehicle sponsor participating in various cross-promotional campaigns. 

These leagues- NWSL, Big3 Basketball, and PWHL- don’t draw the same number of eyeballs as the NFL, NBA, or MLB. But they have a niche audience with a very invested fan community. While there is a risk that the leagues might lose their charm, the ROI is often lucrative because the entry cost is lower than other established leagues. 

There is less competition, which translates to more visibility. Moreover, by partnering with PWHL, NWSL, and Big3 Basketball, brands can reach out to a section of fans underrepresented by traditional sports marketing. So, in 2025, bigwigs like Nike, Gatorade, Ally Financial, and others are invested in up-and-coming leagues as well, beyond the Big Four. And for good reasons.