Dive Brief:
- Ally Financial and the WNBA have announced a multiyear partnership that makes the digital-only bank the official banking partner of the league and a member of the WNBA Changemaker Collective, per a press release.
- Ally will integrate into the league’s media coverage and invest with its broadcast partners, which is expected to help the company reach parity in its paid media spending on women’s and men’s sports sooner than expected.
- In addition, Ally signed an endorsement deal with Paige Bueckers, who is widely expected to be selected first in the WNBA draft Monday night. Bueckers joins brand partners and WNBA stars Breanna Stewart and Sydney Colson in social content and a sweepstakes.
Dive Insight:
Ally’s multi-prong partnership with the WNBA demonstrates how marketers are investing in women’s sports to reach new audiences and meet purpose-driven commitments inspired by diversity, equity and inclusion principles, despite a retreat from DEI in some areas due to pressure from the Trump administration.
“Partnering with the WNBA is more than just a sponsorship; it’s a statement Ally has been intent on making for quite some time,” said Andrea Brimmer, chief marketing and PR officer at Ally, in a statement. “Deepening our connection with the league gives Ally incredible new opportunities to grow our businesses as we work to elevate the WNBA fan experience together and shape this new era of women’s sports.”
Ally joins the WNBA’s roster of Changemakers, which also includes AT&T, Carmax, Deloitte, Google and Nike. The collective is intended to give purpose-driven brands a way to empower women, girls and underrepresented groups through sport. The deal also helps the brand meet its own 50/50 Pledge — an initiative to reach parity across paid media spend in women’s and men’s sports — a year ahead of schedule. Ally is now set to hit 50/50 media spend in 2026.
Timed to the partnership, Ally also added women’s basketball star and likely No. 1 draft pick Bueckers to its roster of ambassadors. The University of Connecticut star is featured in social content around Ally’s “That’s A ‘Savings’ Bucket!” sweepstakes.
Along with joining the WNBA, Bueckers will reportedly sign a three-year deal with the player-owned Unrivaled league, which made more than $27 million in revenue during its first season and has seen partnerships with brands including Morgan Stanley.
As part of its tie-up with the WNBA, Ally will also serve as the presenting partner of WNBA All-Star Voting and the league’s first “Rivals Week” in August, debut a fan activation at WNBA Live and be the logo patch partner on All-Star Game jerseys.
