The NWSL regular season kicks off next week, so it’s time to familiarize yourself with the brands seeking to leverage the league and its teams to reach teams locally, regionally, and nationally.
Before we jump in, here’s a refresher on where things stand with NWSL as the league enters its teneth season. First of all, the Challenge Cup – an annual kickoff tournament for teams – is currently finishing group play with the final set for May 7th.
After a tumultuous 2021 season rocked by scandal, the league appointed a new commissioner, Jessica Berman, ahead of the upcoming season to rebuild trust among players and fans. In February of this year, the NWSL Players Association ratified its first-ever Collective Bargaining Agreement
- READ MORE: Three takeaways from the 2021 NWSL season
From expansion to 12 teams – the most in NWSL history – to new leadership and direction, there are plenty of reasons to be excited. Also good for NWSL? The continued support of league sponsors with a new addition in the offseason.
NWSL Sponsors for the 2022 season
In March, NWSL added its newest league partner and first-ever airlines sponsor. Delta Airlines is now the official airline and travel partner and is providing a significant investment in the league. Delta will work with NWSL to meet the travel needs of teams as the league’s travel guidelines continue to evolve.
Delta – the second-largest airline in the world – will also assist with programming around women’s empowerment, as well as diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. The deal mark’s the airline’s first major sponsorship of a women’s professional league in any sport.
What other brands are part of the NWSL’s team of official partners entering the 2022 season? See a full list below.
| Sponsor | Category |
|---|---|
| Ally | Financial Services |
| Budweiser | Alcoholic Beverages |
| Deloitte | Professional Services |
| Delta Airlines | Airlines |
| iHeartMedia | Media & Entertainment |
| Mastercard | Financial Services |
| Nationwide | Insurance |
| Nike | Apparel Manufacturing |
| UKG | Workforce Management |
| Verizon | Telecommunications |
| Voyager | Cryptocurrency |
NWSL team sponsors for the 2022 season
Entering the season, all 12 teams will feature a front-of-jersey partner. Among the more noteworthy partnerships are Algorand and Gotham FC, which sees the blockchain network becomes the first crypto and blockchain partner in the NWSL.
Check out the full list of front and back-of-jersey partners entering the 2022 season.
Front & Back-of-Jersey Partners
| Team | Jersey Front | Jersey Back |
|---|---|---|
| Angel City FC | DoorDash | Sprouts Farmers Market |
| Chicago Red Stars | CIBC | Meijer |
| Houston Dash | MD Anderson Cancer Center | Shell Energy |
| Kansas City Current | St. Luke's Health System | Palmer Square Capital Management |
| NJ / NY Gotham FC | Algorand | |
| North Carolina Courage | Continental Tire | |
| OL Reign | Black Future Co-Op Fund | Boeing |
| Orlando Pride | Orlando Health | |
| Portland Thorns FC | Providence Health & Services | |
| Racing Louisville FC | GE Appliances | prüvit |
| San Diego Wave FC | Kaiser Permanente | Pechanga Resort Casino |
| Washington Spirit | DC Scores |
Sleeve Partners
For the 2022 season, all teams will continue to don the logo of league partner, Ally, on their left sleeve. By our count, seven of the 12 teams will enter the season with partner logos on their right sleeve.
| Team | Left Sleeve | Right Sleeve |
|---|---|---|
| Angel City FC | Ally | Birdies |
| Chicago Red Stars | Ally | Meijer |
| Houston Dash | Ally | |
| Kansas City Current | Ally | Blue Cross Blue Shield |
| NJ / NY Gotham FC | Ally | |
| North Carolina Courage | Ally | |
| OL Reign | Ally | |
| Orlando Pride | Ally | |
| Portland Thorns FC | Ally | TikTok |
| Racing Louisville FC | Ally | Toyota |
| San Diego Wave FC | Ally | Gatorade |
| Washington Spirit | Ally | Women & Girls in Soccer |
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