New Opportunities: The Unrivaled League

Unrivaled, truly.

Unless you can think of another North American team sports scenario comparable to the 3-on-3 women’s basketball league set to kick off on Friday?

The startup league, in which each of the 36 active players owns equity, presents its participants with a second identity of sorts. Chicago Sky star Angel Reese can also now be Rose Basketball Club star Angel Reese. Legend Brittney Griner of the Phoenix Mercury can add the Phantom BC to her resume.

And those companies that want to do business with these talents can get double the exposure.

Unrivaled looks prepared to launch a strong rookie campaign. Reese, whose Vogue Magazine cover just debuted last week, headlines a stellar roster of players, although it’s a roster that will not include the transcendent Caitlin Clark in Year 1. Every game will take place at an arena/studio in Medley, Florida, outside Miami, with an in-person capacity of 850 fans and will be telecast by TNT and streamed on Max. As detailed by the Sports Business Journal, Ally Financial, State Farm, Miller Lite, Wilson, Sephora and Samsung are among the founding sponsors.

Can the player-owners cash in further by bolstering their personal portfolios? If the games gain traction, a safe bet, then common sense says yes.

Reese reportedly has endorsement deals with Reebok, Beats by Dre, Hershey and Panini America. Breanna Stewart of the WNBA’s New York Liberty and Unrivaled’s Mist BC, one of the co-founders of Unrivaled, has partnerships with Puma, Ally and Delta Air Lines. Down the line of these double-dippers, these corporations can now enjoy two bites of the apple when it comes to viral moments, bonding with teammates and championship celebrations.

This unique opportunity emerges from the WNBA’s four-month commitment, a short schedule relative to other sports that creates a void which players filled in the past by going abroad. While those gigs paid reasonably well, the long distance, time difference and lack of TV exposure didn’t create optimal conditions for individual brand expansion.

Unrivaled, to the contrary, appears to be the perfect showcase, unprecedented, in addition to unrivaled, for brands looking to buy into women’s basketball.