The 12th NWSL season kicks off in mid-March and there’s a lot to be excited by. From new brand and media partners to new franchises, 2024 will be another great year for the league. As we’ve done for several years running, we’re celebrating NWSL’s return by reviewing the brands that have attached themselves to the league and its teams via jersey sponsorships.
New teams enter the mix in 2024
Before we get into jerseys, however, let’s start with some of the other key headlines heading into the season. First, there are three new teams this year – sort of. OL Reign has been rebranded as Seattle Reign FC, a name the team went by from its founding in 2013 through the 2019 season.
The Utah Royals brand also returns to the league in 2024. The original iteration of the franchise operated in Utah from 2018 to 2020 before it ceased operations and the player-related assets were transferred to Kansas City and the franchise now known as KC Current. The Royals’ return to Utah is spearheaded by investors David Blitzer (co-owner of the Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Devils) and Ryan Smith (founder of Qualtrics and owner of the Utah Jazz and Real Salt Lake).
Bay FC also joins the NWSL in 2024. The franchise, with investment from Sixth Street Partners, four previous U.S. Women’s National Team players, and other Bay Area leaders, will play at PayPal Park in San Jose. Of note, the expansion fee for Bay FC was a reported $53 million – 2550% higher than the fee paid by Angel City FC investors just a few short years ago.
NWSL expands list of media partners
Ahead of the 2024 season, NWSL announced long-term domestic media rights deals with ESPN, CBS Sports, Amazon, and Scripps through the 2027 season, worth a reported $240 million. As part of the deal, 118 games will be distributed across Prime Video (Friday nights), Scripps-owned ION network (Saturday double-headers), CBS Sports (including CBS, CBS Sports Network, Paramount+), and ESPN (including ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN Deportes, ESPN+).
The remainder of the NWSL regular season schedule will be included in a domestic direct-to-consumer package produced and distributed by NWSL.
When it comes to the playoffs, Prime Video and CBS will each air a quarterfinal with ESPN/ABC airing the other two. CBS and ESPN/ABC will each have a semifinal and CBS Sports – in the fourth year of its league partnership – will remain the home of the NWSL Championship. The game will air on CBS and stream on Paramount+.
NWSL Team Sponsors: Front & Back of Jersey
Now that you’re caught up as we the season approaches, let’s give into the front and jersey back sponsors for each team.
For front-of-jersey partnerships, healthcare brands lead the way with over a third (36%) of jerseys represented by brands like Sutter Health, Orlando Health, and Kaiser Permanente. As for the backs of jerseys, financial service brands are most represented thanks to partnerships with Palmer Square Capital Management, PNC, and PenFed Credit Union.
In total, every NWSL club has a jersey front partner and half have a back-of-jersey partner. In fact, San Diego Wave have two – 24 Hour Fitness and PenFed Credit Union.
| Team | Front of Jersey | Industry | Back of Jersey | Industry |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Angel City FC | DoorDash | Online Food Ordering | Sprouts Farmers Market | Consumer Products |
| Bay FC | Sutter Health | Healthcare | ||
| Chicago Red Stars | Wintrust Financial | Financial Services | ||
| Houston Dash | MD Anderson Cancer Center | Healthcare | Shell Energy | Energy Solutions |
| Kansas City Current | United Way | Philanthropy | Palmer Square Capital Managmenet | Financial Services |
| NJ/NY Gotham FC | Carmax | Automotive Retail | ||
| North Carolina Courage | Merz Aesthetics | Consumer Products | ||
| Orlando Pride | Orlando Health | Healthcare | ||
| Portland Thorns FC | Providence Health | Healthcare | ||
| Racing Louisville FC | GE Appliances | Consumer Products | PNC | Financial Services |
| San Diego Wave | Kaiser Permanente | Healthcare | 24 Hour Fitness | Personal Fitness |
| PenFed Credit Union | Financial Services | |||
| Seattle Reign | Black Future Co-op Fund | Philanthropy | MultiCare | Healthcare |
| Utah Royals | America First Credit Union | Financial Services | ||
| Washington Spirit | CVS Health | Health & Wellness | Matchday.com | Gaming |
NWSL Team Sponsors: Sleeves
As the brand has since 2021, Ally will continue to appear on the left sleeve of every NWSL team –continuing their commitment as one of the league’s most steadfast partners.
On the right sleeve, 8-of-14 teams will feature a partner to start the season. Interestingly enough, each of the eight brands are from different industries, from supply chain to candy. Hungry for more? Why wait – grab more details below.
| Team | Sleeve (Left) | Industry | Sleeve (Right) | Industry |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Angel City FC | Ally | Financial Services | Birdies | Consumer Products |
| Bay FC | Ally | Financial Services | ||
| Chicago Red Stars | Ally | Financial Services | ||
| Houston Dash | Ally | Financial Services | Magellan Corporation | Supply Chain |
| Kansas City Current | Ally | Financial Services | Blue Cross Blue Shield KC | Healthcare |
| NJ/NY Gotham FC | Ally | Financial Services | CarMax | Automotive Retail |
| North Carolina Courage | Ally | Financial Services | ||
| Orlando Pride | Ally | Financial Services | ||
| Portland Thorns FC | Ally | Financial Services | ||
| Racing Louisville FC | Ally | Financial Services | Toyota | Automotive |
| San Diego Wave | Ally | Financial Services | Dexcom | Medical Technology |
| Seattle Reign | Ally | Financial Services | ||
| Utah Royals | Ally | Financial Services | Intermountain Health | Healthcare |
| Washington Spirit | Ally | Financial Services | SNICKERS | Candy |
Nike, NWSL unveil 2024 team jerseys
For more detail on each of the jerseys released ahead of the season, check out the article published by NWSL. Here are a few of our favorite design cues:
- Angel City: “Volemos” nod to their club motto/rallying cry
- Houston Dash: “HU” in a cube, 10th anniversary nod
- KC Current: “Teal Rising” alluding to rivers and the power of a current
- NC Courage: “Be > Seem” on the bottom of the jersey, referring to their state’s official motto
- Orlando Pride: the design draws inspiration from Florida oranges and historic crate packaging
- Portland Thorns: “PDX” is constructed by roses, representing the Portland community
- San Diego Wave: Orange, pink and turquoise wave-like pattern design calling on ocean sunsets