The WNBA announced that Google is the league’s newest partner in its Changemakers platform. Google joins AT&T, Deloitte, and Nike as the exclusive collective of partnerships dedicated to elevating the league and women’s sports.
The Changemakers platform was created to directly support the WNBA in its efforts to transform its business plan through marketing, engagement, branding, and player and fan experiences. The league has long been committed to driving positive change in communities through women’s sports and women throughout society.
Google will be the presenting partner of the WNBA Playoffs, as well as an associate partner of the WNBA All-Star Game and the WNBA’s Commissioner’s Cup.
The search engine juggernaut will also become the official trends and insights partner of the league.
As well as becoming the presenting sponsor of the WNBA on ESPN, Google will be working with both brands to create “25 for 25,” dedicated to airing 25 WNBA games on ESPN in honor of the 25th season of the innovative league.
Google will also be a presenting sponsor for new ESPN Film’s projects, like the 30 for 30 series, beginning with the upcoming film “144,” which takes the audience behind the closed doors of the WNBA’s 2020 Bubble Season.
WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said in a press release, “When we launched our WNBA Changemakers platform at the beginning of 2020, we issued a call to like-minded companies to join us in elevating women’s sports, and Google has answered that call.
“We are incredibly grateful to Google for becoming the latest WNBA Changemaker and for their platform of helpful products for everyone. Google’s support will be instrumental in driving our business transformation forward and demonstrates a commitment to the values we both stand for – including building sustainable equity.”
In addition to ESPN airing 25 WNBA games this season, Twitter will feature highlights in real-time for the fifth-straight year, as well as air 12 games on #WNBATwitterLive. Facebook enters its second season providing WNBA game action, airing 20 games live on Facebook Watch.
AT&T, Deloitte, and Nike were the Inaugural members of the league’s Changemakers platform, providing the WNBA with a multitude of not only business insights and financial investment, but with uplifting marketing and branding techniques.
Nike collaborated with the WNBA to create each team’s jerseys for the 2021 season, which features three different variations of the team’s home jerseys.
The partnership with Google is an extraordinary advancement for the WNBA, which has always been incredibly dedicated to uplifting women on and off the playing field and giving women’s sports the credit and attention it has always deserved.
With an internet search engine as highly used as Google, partnering with one of the most dominant leagues in women’s sports, the possibilities are endless as to what this could do for all women’s sports around the world.
With only 4% of sports coverage being women’s sports, change needs to happen – and the WNBA partnering with Google will do just that.
The 25th season of the WNBA tips off on May 14th, with each team playing 32 regular-season games.