New Balance announced a multiyear partnership with the WNBA on Tuesday, placing Los Angeles Sparks rookie forward Cameron Brink at the forefront of the collaboration. The partnership will create broadcast, digital and retail content featuring Brink, who is a key figure in New Balance’s efforts to expand its presence in women’s sports.
Even though my parents worked at Nike for a long time, it was such an easy conversion. … I felt like family with [New Balance], and it felt like a great environment,” Brink said, as reported by Jessica Golden of CNBC.
The announcement marks a notable step for New Balance as it joins other major brands such as Adidas, Nike, Puma and Under Armour as official partners of the WNBA. Unlike other partnerships, the WNBA does not have an exclusive footwear partner, but only league sponsors can display their logos on the court. Financial details of the agreement were not disclosed.
Jessica Vassall, global head of partnerships for New Balance, emphasized the significance of the partnership.
“It’s really exciting that we’re going to play a small part in continuing the growth and progress towards achieving parity in women’s sports,” Vassall said.
Nearly a year ago, New Balance signed Brink, who was then a standout player at Stanford University. Brink, a four-time NCAA All-American, became the first female basketball player on the New Balance roster. She joins a prestigious lineup of athletes represented by New Balance, including NBA star Kawhi Leonard.
Cameron Brink part of prestigious New Balance roster
Despite her promising start, Brink’s rookie season was cut short by a season-ending ACL tear in June, which also ruled her out of the Paris Olympics. However, New Balance plans to feature her in various lifestyle and performance campaigns, and she will collaborate with their teams to influence future products.
The women’s basketball market, though smaller compared to men’s, has been growing. Market research firm Circana notes that men’s basketball sneaker sales are declining, while the women’s segment is experiencing double-digit growth. Beth Goldstein, a footwear industry analyst at Circana, remarked on New Balance’s expanding influence, saying, “They have shown they can be a player in a number of new sports they’ve moved into — like tennis and baseball.”
In addition to Brink, New Balance also represents top tennis player Coco Gauff and Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani. The 118-year-old Boston-based company reported $6.5 billion in sales last year, a 23% increase from 2022. For the past three years, New Balance has seen double-digit growth globally in both footwear and apparel. The privately held company plans to expand further with 90 new stores set to open in 2024.
“We are outperforming every single metric,” said Colie Edison, chief growth officer for the WNBA. The league, buoyed by rising stars like Indiana Fever rookie Caitlin Clark, is now averaging 1.2 million viewers per game, with attendance up 16% from last season. “We’re seeing an influx of fans and partners, which allows us to create a new economic model that is going to set the league up for long-term business sustainability.”
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