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It’s not just fans waking up at odd hours to watch the Women’s World Cup.
Marketers are likely just as interested in the tournament, which has seen record viewership, especially those working for the brands most heavily invested in the event, like Nike and Visa.
A report from sports and entertainment intelligence platform SponsorUnited examined which Women’s World Cup players see the most brand love, based on an analysis of about 230 brands, 120 athletes, and 900 social posts between July 1 of last year and this year.
Morgan mania: Alex Morgan, one of the captains of the US Women’s National Team, has 21 brand deals under her belt, per SponsorUnited, making her the most-endorsed player in the World Cup.
- Morgan has recently posted on behalf of Molecule Sleep, Spotify, and Nike, to name a few.
- Alisha Lehmann of Switzerland and Alexia Putellas of Spain follow Morgan with 11 brand deals each.
- Lehmann had the highest social engagement of any player in the tournament, outranking other players by almost four times per post.
“With a unique ability to captivate audiences and ignite engagement across diverse brands, Morgan epitomizes the tremendous potential of female athletes and their remarkable influence within sport,” Bob Lynch, founder and CEO of SponsorUnited, said in a statement.
Just do it: Nike is the most active brand in terms of Women’s World Cup endorsements, with 42. Adidas follows with 36, and Visa has 19, though SponsorUnited noted that Visa’s sponsorship programs, like its Team Visa initiative, “go far beyond traditional endorsements.”
Puma, Matchday, Lego, EA Sports, Mastercard, Cupra, and Pepsi Max round out the top 10. Brands in the apparel and accessories category have the most active sponsorship deals, followed by financial services, non-alcoholic beverages, food, and tech.
Despite trailing Nike in terms of deal count, Adidas had the highest average engagement per branded post thanks to one from Lehmann, which saw engagement “equivalent to all of Nike’s social campaigns with Women’s World Cup athletes combined.”