Unrivaled Hits Big Money Shot With Morgan Stanley; TNT Aligns With AT&T, Ford
Saturday, January 18, 2025 at 01:35PM By Barry Janoff
January 18, 2025: In sports competition, there are winners and there are losers.
When it comes to marketing deals, Unrivaled presented by Samsung Galaxy is showing it is winning big.
The women’s pro hoops 3x3 league began its inaugural season last night, with the Vinyl and Lunar Owls recording the first victories in Unrivaled history.
The league also has three more alliances in its burgeoning roster of nearly 20 partners.
Morgan Stanley global financial firm has signed a multi-platform alliance with Unrivaled that will include in-game and off-court activation.
Via media partner TNT Sports, the Halftime Show is presented by Ford during the game broadcasts.
Also via TNT Sports during games, 4th quarters are shown commercial free by AT&T.
Financial terms of these alliances were not released.
AT&T and Ford logos appear on the Unrivaled court among partners getting rotating on-court signage during games. Ford and AT&T commercials air during TNT broadcasts.
Unrivaled has a multi-year deal with TNT Sports to exclusively present live game coverage on TNT and truTV beginning with the league's inaugural season.
The alignment with Morgan Stanley, which in its most recent financial statement showed a revenue of $54.1 billion, comes on the heels of signing of Wayfair e-commerce furniture and home goods global company, which most recently reported revenue of $14 billion.
That multi-level deal is anchored by naming rights to the league’s Miami venue, now known as Wayfair Arena, as well as the league’s “official home furnishing partner.”
“When we say invest in women’s sports, we mean it literally,” Unrivaled posted to social media. “Excited to welcome Morgan Stanley as our newest official partner.”
As part of its alliance, Morgan Stanley will get logo placement on playing court pole pads, be integrated across Unrivaled’s social media platforms and work with players in community programming.
Perhaps more significant, Morgan Stanley will provide “financial empowerment opportunities for Unrivaled players.”
“Our new partnership with Unrivaled is an opportunity for us to deepen our commitment to breaking down barriers in women’s sports and beyond,” Alice Milligan, Morgan Stanley CMO, said via the firm.
Morgan Stanley’s initiative with Unrivaled echoes an alliance it has with tennis player Leylah Fernandez and the Hologic WTA Tour’s WTA Foundation community outreach program.
Started in 2018, it “utilizes tennis to positively impact communities by encouraging youth of all ages and abilities, with a focus on girls, to lead healthy and productive lives on and off the court.”
“Unrivaled is proud to partner with Morgan Stanley to uplift women’s sports and help usher in a new era of athlete empowerment,” Unrivaled commissioner Micky Lawler said via the league.
“Morgan Stanley has a long tradition of championing women’s athletics and building towards a more inclusive and egalitarian future that reflects the incredible talents of women, both in sports and beyond.”
The firm is also presenting sponsor for ESPN’s “In the Arena: Serena Williams.” The eight-episode documentary “shows pivotal moments in Williams’ life, on and off the court, demonstrating why she is a role model for the young women following in her footsteps.”
Morgan Stanley also is a Proud Partner of The Players Championship and has an alliance with brand ambassador and multi-time PGA champion Justin Rose.
Unrivaled presented by Samsung Galaxy’s season runs to mid-March, capped by semi-final playoff games March 16 and the championship on March 17.
A mid-season 1x1 tournament in February will be presented by Coca-Cola brand Sprite.
The influx of financial and marketing support has translated to a proactive situation for players.
They are making upward of $260,000 in salary, according to industry analysts, with the 1x1 competition offering additional financial rewards; and have such amenities as two-bedroom apartments located near Wayfair Arena and the use of rental cars.
Wayfair Arena itself — a completely remodeled 20,000-square-foot sound-stage owned by league partner, Mediapro North America, includes a a condensed court (72 feet x 49.2 feet) with seating for 850, weight room, sauna, recovery areas, family and childcare amenities and space, a “glam room” and content creation facilities, as well as its own chef.
Investors include Coco Gauff, Alex Morgan and Trybe Ventures, Carmelo Anthony, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Michael Phelps, Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis, The Berman Family, Dawn Staley, David Levy, John Skipper, Moira Forbes, Tyus and Tre Jones, Dan Rosensweig, Richard Sarnoff and Gary Vaynerchuk.
Partnerships also include Coca-Cola brands Sprite (Presenting Partner of 1x1 Tournament) and BodyArmor (Official Sports Drink Partner); Samsung Galaxy (Presenting and Official Technology Partner), Ally Financial (Founding and Official Banking Partner), Icy Hot (Official Recovery Partner), Mediapro North America (Production and Hosting Partner), Miller Lite (Official Beer Partner), Opill, Sephora U.S. (Official Beauty Partner), State Farm (Home and Auto Insurance Partner), Ticketmaster (Official Ticketing Partner), TNT Sports (Exclusive Media Rights Partner), Under Armour (Official Uniform Partner and Performance Outfitter), VistaPrint (Official Print and Design Partner), Wayfair (Venue Naming Rights and Home Furnishing Partner) and Wilson (Official Game Ball Manufacturer).
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