Maybe I’m sharing too much about my algorithm, but Unrivaled has been inescapable on social media over the last several weeks. From Paige Bueckers trolling, well, just about anyone on the Miami campus to Natasha Cloud making custom crop tops of Phantom gear, it’s been an all-out push toward season two, which kicked off Monday.
That’s very much by design and working to great effect.
The startup 3-on-3 women’s basketball league found success in its first year, doubled down with the help of sponsors like Samsung, Sephora and Thorne and is growing in everything from the size of the league to its valuation.
Before the holiday, I caught up with CRO Matt Drew to chat about what’s in the secret sauce:
Content first
Unrivaled has much of the best basketball talent globally, and it will be fun to watch a veritable who’s who of WNBA All-Stars, Olympic gold medalists and basketball icons compete this season, including co-founder Breanna Stewart, Chelsea Gray, Brittney Griner and Kelsey Plum.
The league’s content team is there to match that talent.
Building off Unrivaled’s presenting sponsorship with Samsung, the league extends its reach significantly beyond its TNT broadcast deal. The league’s 38-member content team shoots exclusively on Samsung devices and produces a prolific amount of behind-the-scenes content for social media that leverages the stars’ existing brands and builds them by sharing the fun and funny insights into the athletes.
That’s led to what Unrivaled President Alex Bazzell said was 5.5 times the engagement rate of other pro sports in season one. It’s added an always-on approach in the offseason, setting up Unrivaled HQ during WNBA All-Star weekend, hosting an NIL Summit with top college talent and appearing at Cannes.
To be sure, it has plenty working to its advantage. All eight teams are on one campus. Players in its inaugural season received equity stakes and had incentive to grow the league.
It’s paid off, with Unrivaled completing a Series B round earlier this year at a valuation of $340 million.
“We have a unique proposition, and I do believe it is very additive to what otherwise is out there,” Drew said.
Brand integration
The league isn’t just bringing fans in. It’s delivering a real ROI to sponsors, and the biggest ones are doubling down.
Drew said Unrivaled has found success in pairing an extensive content plan with tangible hero assets. While Samsung’s assets include halfcourt placement, its devices will also be used in Galaxy Game View during game broadcasts.
This year, it has added the Samsung Rest Club for players to recharge, with everything from hyperbaric oxygen chambers to Samsung devices that help with mental recovery and include curated programming in partnership with Calm.
“They’re completely integrated into our provision of service and the content that people know and love is shot with Samsung,” Drew said. “I’ve been in this game a long time, and I haven’t seen a partnership that has worked as effectively as this.”
Sephora is increasing its investment. With everything from the glam room to the tunnel walk among its assets last season, it added naming rights to Sephora Arena this year, replacing Wayfair, the only sponsor to depart.
Others are joining. Maker’s Mark will have a branded suite that’s visible on broadcasts. PwC signed on as the presenting sponsor of the PWC Practice Studio. Thorne signed its first women’s sports sponsorship, with naming rights to the players’ lounge and a jersey patch on Breeze BC. Drew expects to expand the league’s approach of selling club-specific assets in year three.
“It remains within the Unrivaled DNA of having a player focus first and trying to make sure that the environment is the best possible one for them,” Drew said.
Expansion
The league is literally bigger, adding the Breeze and Hive BC for year two. And it’s taking play on the road, with four teams set for games at Xfinity Arena in Philadelphia on Jan. 30.
The inaugural tour stop comes to a city that hasn’t had pro women’s basketball since 1998. Drew said the opportunity is allowing Unrivaled to bring in local partners and build on the investment from Xfinity, which is hosting Unrivaled watch parties in the lead up to the game and a free-throw contest for fans.
“We see that as a precursor for much more to come,” he said. “It’s become a significant part of how we think about how we might grow.”
