The National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), the top flight of women’s club soccer in the US, has announced a multi-year sponsorship deal with telecommunications giant Verizon.
According to The Equalizer women’s soccer news outlet, Verizon’s deal runs through 2021 with an option to extend for a further year.
Verizon joins a growing list of NWSL partners, which also includes beer brand Budweiser, sportswear giant Nike and health and technology company Thorne.
Headquartered in New Jersey, Verizon is already an influential player in US sports sponsorship through partnerships with the likes of the National Football League (NFL) and Nascar. In February, the company teamed up with La Liga North America, the Spanish soccer league’s regional business arm.
“Sports are such a huge part of our culture and give us a sense of connection – something we’re all craving right now,” said Marissa Weseloh, director of strategic sponsorships at Verizon. “Partnering with the National Women’s Soccer League allows us to connect with the soccer community in a meaningful way as the sport continues to grow.”
News of the partnership came as the league confirmed it would return to action this year with the 2020 NWSL Challenge Cup, a month-long, 25-game tournament featuring all nine teams.
The competition, which will be held behind closed doors in Utah from 27th June to 26th July, has secured fresh commercial backing from consumer goods manufacturer Procter & Gamble (P&G) and its Secret deodorant brand, which will be the presenting sponsors of the tournament.
The Equalizer’s report described the deal with P&G as a ‘trial run’ for a potentially bigger partnership further down the line.
Existing NWSL partner Budweiser will be the presenting sponsor of the Challenge Cup’s semi-finals and final, which will be played at the 20,000-seater Rio Tinto Stadium, home of the NWSL’s Utah Royals and Real Salt Lake of Major League Soccer (MLS).
Royals owner Dell Loy Hansen, who will act as host of the Challenge Cup, was quoted as telling reporters that the tournament “could pay for itself” thanks to the support of sponsors.
Hansen’s role as host means he will be responsible for meeting the housing, training and competition needs of the NWSL’s nine franchises, as well as creating an ‘NWSL village’ to control as much of the environment as possible.
CBS, which signed a three-year domestic media rights deal with the NWSL ahead of the 2020 season, will air the tournament-opener and final on its flagship commercial television channel, with all other games to be shown in the US and Canada on the CBS All Access streaming subscription service. The competition will also stream globally on Amazon-owned gaming platform Twitch.
The 2020 NWSL season was due to start on 18th April but had to be put on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic. It has not been confirmed whether the Challenge Cup will be the only competitive action for NWSL teams this year, or if the league plans on having a regular season after the summer.
“As our country begins to safely reopen and adjust to our collective new reality, and with the enthusiastic support of our players, owners, as well as our new and current commercial partners, the NWSL is thrilled to bring professional soccer back to the United States,” said NWSL commissioner Lisa Baird. “This exciting month-long tournament will showcase our league’s talented players and provide our fans the type of world-class entertainment they’ve come to expect from the NWSL.”
The National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), the top flight of women’s club soccer in the US, has announced a multi-year sponsorship deal with telecommunications giant Verizon.
According to The Equalizer women’s soccer news outlet, Verizon’s deal runs through 2021 with an option to extend for a further year.
Verizon joins a growing list of NWSL partners, which also includes beer brand Budweiser, sportswear giant Nike and health and technology company Thorne.
Headquartered in New Jersey, Verizon is already an influential player in US sports sponsorship through partnerships with the likes of the National Football League (NFL) and Nascar. In February, the company teamed up with La Liga North America, the Spanish soccer league’s regional business arm.
“Sports are such a huge part of our culture and give us a sense of connection – something we’re all craving right now,” said Marissa Weseloh, director of strategic sponsorships at Verizon. “Partnering with the National Women’s Soccer League allows us to connect with the soccer community in a meaningful way as the sport continues to grow.”
News of the partnership came as the league confirmed it would return to action this year with the 2020 NWSL Challenge Cup, a month-long, 25-game tournament featuring all nine teams.
The competition, which will be held behind closed doors in Utah from 27th June to 26th July, has secured fresh commercial backing from consumer goods manufacturer Procter & Gamble (P&G) and its Secret deodorant brand, which will be the presenting sponsors of the tournament.
The Equalizer’s report described the deal with P&G as a ‘trial run’ for a potentially bigger partnership further down the line.
Existing NWSL partner Budweiser will be the presenting sponsor of the Challenge Cup’s semi-finals and final, which will be played at the 20,000-seater Rio Tinto Stadium, home of the NWSL’s Utah Royals and Real Salt Lake of Major League Soccer (MLS).
Royals owner Dell Loy Hansen, who will act as host of the Challenge Cup, was quoted as telling reporters that the tournament “could pay for itself” thanks to the support of sponsors.
Hansen’s role as host means he will be responsible for meeting the housing, training and competition needs of the NWSL’s nine franchises, as well as creating an ‘NWSL village’ to control as much of the environment as possible.
CBS, which signed a three-year domestic media rights deal with the NWSL ahead of the 2020 season, will air the tournament-opener and final on its flagship commercial television channel, with all other games to be shown in the US and Canada on the CBS All Access streaming subscription service. The competition will also stream globally on Amazon-owned gaming platform Twitch.
The 2020 NWSL season was due to start on 18th April but had to be put on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic. It has not been confirmed whether the Challenge Cup will be the only competitive action for NWSL teams this year, or if the league plans on having a regular season after the summer.
“As our country begins to safely reopen and adjust to our collective new reality, and with the enthusiastic support of our players, owners, as well as our new and current commercial partners, the NWSL is thrilled to bring professional soccer back to the United States,” said NWSL commissioner Lisa Baird. “This exciting month-long tournament will showcase our league’s talented players and provide our fans the type of world-class entertainment they’ve come to expect from the NWSL.”
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