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The GIST: Last week, broadcast networks and streamers shared a glimpse into current strategies during the 2025 Upfronts in NYC. Companies like NBC, Amazon, Netflix, and Disney all observed the same trend: It’s smart to double down on live sports because of the impressive engagement the industry generates, both from viewers and advertisers. Thank u, next.

🌎 NBCUniversal: After a successful 2024 (especially in Paris), the NBC parent is looking to host more live sports and leverage its proprietary streamer, Peacock. According to the company, 70% of NBC’s programming is live, and it's slated to own nearly 40% of all major live events through 2027.

• NBC owns rights in the NFL, the Olympic and Paralympic Games, college football and basketball, NASCAR, golf, and the EPL, not to mention its NBA and WNBA deals for next season. This pays off big for the network and its advertisers: NBC says live content drives 21% more engagement for brands.

📈 Amazon: The tech giant has seen continued success with its ad-supported tiers of Amazon Music and Prime Video. Monthly viewing hours on Prime Video are up nearly 40% YoY, and the company announced it reached over 300M users monthly across its media platforms (including Twitch), a 25M YoY increase.

• Expanding its reach makes sense considering the loyalty to the Amazon ecosystem — 88% of Prime Video’s 130M monthly viewers also shop at Amazon.com. Women’s sports fans are avid consumers, something the company emphasized in last year’s NWSL merch deal as well as media agreements with the NWSL, WNBA, and PWHL.

🥊 Netflix: The popular streamer has also seen gains on its ad-supported tier, which jumped from 70M active users in November to over 94M now. In 2025, Netflix plans to relive the success of 2024’s live sports forays, meaning more NFL Christmas Day games, WWE Raw, and a Katie Taylor–Amanda Serrano boxing rematch after the initial event drew a record 74M viewers.

• Plus, Netflix recently nabbed the U.S. rights for the 2027 and 2031 FIFA Women’s World Cup, and has doubled down on women’s soccer–focused documentary content such as Under Pressure and The ‘99ers.

🐭 Disney: At last, the ESPN parent is ready to launch ESPN’s DTC streaming service this fall for $29.99 per month while offering a whopping 47K live events annually. ESPN has leveraged streaming in recent media rights deals with Canada’s NSL and with its own internal programming like Vibe Check, the new women-led sports studio show premiering on Disney+ in June.

• Disney is now reaching 164M monthly active users on its ad-supported tier, something the company wants to take advantage of with its upcoming ESPN experience. Disney hopes its DTC offering will create new inventory opportunities for advertisers and make the viewing experience more engaging for fans with fantasy sports and social sharing. Plugged in.

The GIST: The 29th WNBA season tipped off last Friday with a record 45 official sponsors, including 10 brands that signed on during the past year, according to Sports Business Journal (SBJ). Let’s dive into why these old and new brands are recognizing the potential for brand amplification in the W. A well-rounded roster.

✅ The Day Ones: Nike and Gatorade

Remarkably, these two brands have been with the league since its founding in 1997, and by SBJ’s count, they are the longest active league sponsors. Advertising in the W for decades has paid off for Nike and Gatorade: According to SponsorUnited, Gatorade is the No. 1 brand for sponsorship presence in the WNBA, while Nike generated $31.2M in sponsor media value (SMV) last season.

🚀 Here for the Hype: Bumble, New Balance, Delta, OPill, Reebok, DraftKings

Nine new brands partnered with the league in 2024, with unprecedented looks from categories like dating apps and medication. Women-focused brands like OPill identified opportunities in the WNBA, as well as companies looking to gain favor on the W court such as DraftKings.

• Delta made a splash by sponsoring chartered league travel, while New Balance and Reebok — which are both looking to zero in on basketball — made noise by encroaching on what’s been Nike territory for many years. Plus, Bumble data proved activating in the W overlapped with user interests.

✨ The Newcomers: Ally, BetMGM, Booking.com, Coach, Evernorth

These brands all joined in 2025, reflecting the increasing diversity of companies delving into women’s basketball. Ally built on its 2024 Las Vegas Aces partnership after seeing positive gains in brand affinity and recognition, while luxury and travel brands have identified opportunities with fans of the league.

Zooming out: With viewership and engagement on the rise, teaming up with the W is a major win for any brand, but it’s not the only way to win over fans. While league and team sponsorships cost a pretty penny, there’s still opportunity for advertisers to collab with athletes directly or reach viewers in partnership with media brands (like The GIST!). Way to make an impression.

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