October 31, 2023
Inside WNBA partnerships with SKIMS, Peloton
By Aya Abdeen
Activations and plans taking shape
SKIMS, a clothing brand co-founded by Kim Kardashian, also the Creative Director, is now the official underwear partner of the WNBA, following a new multi-year partnership announced on Monday.
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“The athletes of the WNBA are trendsetters and cultural influencers,” WNBA Commissioner Cathy
Engelbert said. “There is no better time to be joining the league as a partner, and we are excited to work with SKIMS, a brand that has quickly cemented its status as a cultural centerpiece, to elevate each other’s brands and celebrate female athletes and their impact in society.”
SKIMS is set to be an associate partner of the 2024 WNBA All-Star Game in Phoenix on July 20, and the two-day fan festival will return for the third consecutive year. The clothing brand will also collaborate with the league on “WNBA-focused activations” in the 2024 season.
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The WNBA-SKIMS partnership resulted in a 111% increase in the number of partners activating and a 70% increase in merchandise sales from the 2023 WNBA All-Star weekend in July.
“We’re thrilled to partner with the WNBA and to excite fans and female athletes through WNBA marquee
events, brand activations, media, and campaigns,” Kardashian said. “We look forward to working together in amplifying our joint values of women empowerment and individual confidence.”
Naturally, Sydney Colson had her own take on the announcement.
Peloton, the NBA and the WNBA agree to multi-year partnership
On Oct. 18, the WNBA and NBA have agreed to a multi-year partnership with Peloton, which will be the official fitness partner for both leagues.
According to the release, Peloton will introduce NBA- and WNBA-themed classes for members and will work together with the WNBA on focused initiatives for the 2024 season, which will be announced at a later date.
“Peloton is the ideal partner to tip off the launch of NBA Fitness, our new platform to engage our fans’ affinity for health and wellness,” Senior Vice President, Head of Gaming & New Business Ventures, NBA, Scott Kaufman-Ross said in a release. “We look forward to leveraging Peloton’s leadership in the space as we create co-branded fitness classes with both the NBA and WNBA, bring original content to the NBA App and make NBA League Pass available on Peloton devices.”
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“Peloton Members are NBA and WNBA fans, and this collaboration is going to bring amazing content and experiences to them and all fans of both leagues,” Chief Marketing Officer of Peloton Leslie Berland said in a release. “We have a shared goal to inspire and connect people through fitness, sport and community — we’re excited to join forces and achieve exactly that.”
Written by Aya Abdeen
Aya Abdeen is a student in sports journalism at Arizona State University and has been a contributing writer for The Next since December 2022. She is also a sports reporter for the Sun Devils’ women’s basketball team for The State Press. Her work has also appeared on AZPreps365.
