As breakthrough WNBA season nears close, entry of brands new to basketball could be lasting legacy 

The latter has signed up to sponsor the NBA ahead of the 2024-25 men’s season. In major part, according to Andreas Osbar, CEO of Castrol Americas, it’s a move to align the brand with the WNBA and its increasingly broad fanbase. The financial details of the partnership were not shared.

“It is allowing us to reach new and different kind of audiences,” said Osbar. 

Media buyers say that the NBA and WNBA’s proactive approach to fan engagement, and flexibility with advertising opportunities — it was the first U.S. sports league to introduce jersey patches, for example — has made sponsorships more accessible.

Castrol joins underwear brand Skims and used car sales platform CarMax as a non-endemic advertiser that now partners with both the NBA and WNBA. “More and more we’re seeing brands and categories partnering with the NBA and WNBA… that have not historically been partners of the NBA or supporters of it,” said Jimmy Spano, evp and head of Dentsu Sports.

“That’s a sign of brands recognizing the unique qualities and offerings that these two leagues specifically bring to the table,” he added.

Colie Edison, chief growth officer of the WNBA since 2022, isn’t surprised that the league is pulling in new names. “With the league’s growth, massive cultural relevance and multifaceted players, a wider array of non-endemic brands are entering the fray,” she told Digiday in an email.

“These partnerships aren’t limited to women-specific products or industries,” she said, adding that “the league’s ability to secure such a diverse sponsorship portfolio highlights the broader economic opportunities tied to its success​​​.”

Castrol isn’t a stranger to sports marketing. As well as soccer and football partnerships, it’s long been a partner of NASCAR, and is set to sponsor the Audi Formula One team beginning in 2026.

But Osbar said that it needs to reach younger, female drivers, if the company is to increase its revenues in its core U.S. market. 

Castrol’s internal research, he claimed, had shown that there were more female drivers involved in oil and lubricant purchasing than it had previously estimated. “The role of women in our value chain is probably an untapped opportunity for us,” he said, without providing specific data. “That’s where the NBA comes in.”

Women make up 44% of WNBA fans versus 40% for the NBA, according to YouGov SportsIndex. WNBA fans are also younger, with an estimated 47% aged 18-34 compared with 42% for the NBA. 

“From a hardcore marketing standpoint, the growth of women’s sports equals the growth of a media opportunity to speak to more women,” said Ant Firth-Clark, senior strategist at M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment, an agency which has recently worked with Castrol in the U.K. “[For] anyone who’s trying to appeal to a female market, it’s going to be an obvious touch point.”

And though the WNBA draws plenty of male viewers, he said it’s provided a moment that means “more women get to see themselves and more girls get to see themselves in sport.”

Osbar did not disclose the cost of Castrol’s sponsorship, but said it represented “a significant investment… I had to seriously think two or three times before I opened the checkbook.”

The CEO said it’ll be undertaking a significant media activation program alongside the sponsorship. The approach, which Osbar said was still being finalized, will focus on TV and digital — particularly paid social and influencer — as well as shopfloor activity at retail partners’ stores. “The activation commitment is probably as big as the rights commitment,” he said, without providing specific figures. 

Castrol will also be betting that the WNBA’s more diverse audience will also be more receptive than the typical viewer. 

“Women’s sports fans are very much aware of prior inequities, and they care about the growth of these leagues and these athletes more so than the generic or casual sports fan,” said Maria Marino, a sports journalist and host of Action Network basketball podcast Buckets.

“They take note of and support the brands that support the game that they care about,” she added.

The WNBA’s Edison argued that fans of women’s sports were more likely to purchase from brands that supported their team or league. “Fans of women’s sports are 54% more aware of women’s sports sponsors and 45% more likely to consider or purchase from sponsor brands compared to men’s sports,” she said, referencing a study published by sports agency Wasserman in 2023.

She added: “It makes business sense to support the WNBA as it continues to break records across viewership, engagement and more.”