The WNBA has experienced unstoppable growth in recent years. The improvement in salaries has been joined by the commitment to a communication strategy based on increasing visibility and a style in which social justice is the center of the message. A digital revolution that culminates with the arrival of large companies such as Google Y Amazon and with the viralization of a sweatshirt that has already become a symbol.
All this has developed as a result of the collective agreement that was signed in January 2019 and which focused on increasing support for the American league.
In this framework, the initiative was born WNBA
Changemakers, which has led to the arrival of companies such as Deloitte, Nike, AT&T Y Google Y Amazon, which have been incorporated this last week.
An announcement that has been reserved for the days prior to the start of the league, which will be at dawn on Saturday 15, and that aims to surprise with events such as All-Stars wave Commissioner’s Cup, a new tournament that will run parallel to the league – with a format similar to that of a Cup del Rey in Spain- and that will distribute $ 500,000 in prizes.
On the website of the WNBA it is indicated that the platform Changemakers, consists of “giving a new approach to sports marketing with companies committed to promoting a change in a country in which only one percent of sports sponsorship is destined for women’s sports”.
In addition, the entity adds that companies that sign a contract with the WNBA they must “share the same values in terms of gender, race and LGBT + equality”, a line in which he worked Nike with the special editions of the luggage of the 16 teams that make up the league.
Some of the issues that caused the most stir were those of the Washington Mystics that pays tribute to African-American women who participated in the suffrage movement of USA or that of the New York Liberty, which instead of the usual “Liberty” on the front of the shirt, they chose to put “Equality” (equality).
One of the proper names of this revolution is Eb jones, who in addition to working on the league’s communication strategy, was the one who created the famous sweatshirt that is already the best-selling merchandising item in the league’s history.
After what Kobe bryant take her to a game of Los angeles lakers Against the Dallas Mavericks in December 2019, this sweatshirt has become more than just a garment and is a symbol of equality in the sport.
Lebron James, Pau Gasoline or Bring Young They have published content on their social networks with it on, like other athletes such as tennis player Naomi Osaka Or even out of the box like rapper Lil Wayne.
The newspaper Sports
Illustrated figures the growth of the league on digital platforms in the last campaign around 250,000 followers, numbers that seem to continue to increase with the arrival of Google Y Amazon, whose contracts are based on the improvement of the visualization of matches, which until last season could only be followed by the application of the WNBA.
In the case of Google, the company has committed itself through a double agreement with the channel ESPN, to broadcast 25 regular league games and to progress in the consumer experience in all the products offered by the search engine. For its part, Amazon Prime Video has agreed to broadcast 16 regular league games and has taken over the rights to the Commissioner’s Cup.
But it is not only the structure of the league that grows, together with it the stars of the competition such as Breanna Stewart, twice champion and MVP of the WNBA, who has become the only player to have signed a sneaker contract in the last decade.
Stewart, you just conquered the Euroleague and also rise with the Mvp tournament, broke his contract with Nike and has signed a new advertising agreement with Cougar which makes him the 10th member of the league to have his own line of boots.
The last to do so was Candace parker, another of the stars of the competition who has caused a stir by signing for Chicago
Sky in free agency. “CP3” will share a team with the Spanish Astou
Ndour, the only Spanish player who will participate in the league this year after Martha
Xargay Y White
Millan have completed the preseason with Phoenix
Mercury Y Washington
Mystics, respectively.