2025 has already seen some significant partnerships between women’s sports and beauty products. Most significantly, Maybelline has agreed a partnership with the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) which sees the cosmetics brand serve as the league’s official beauty partner in Canada. The deal is worth an estimated $400,000 annually, according to GlobalData.
Meanwhile, e.l.f. Cosmetics has agreed a deal to sponsor the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), becoming its official makeup and skin care partner, as well as the presenting partner of the NWSL Challenge Cup.
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The collaborations between cosmetic brands and two of the world’s leading women’s sports leagues offer these companies expansive access to broader media rights and television placements. However, the depth of these partnerships extends beyond mere visibility.
Sports wield an influence that transcends the game, particularly in women’s sports, where the values of empowerment align closely with those espoused by cosmetic brands. These shared values enhance the synergy between the brands and the leagues, creating a powerful platform for mutual growth and societal impact.
Brands have traditionally shown reluctance to partner with women’s sports, largely due to their receiving less media coverage compared to men’s sports. Companies typically prioritize investments that promise the highest potential returns. Given that women’s sports have historically attracted less popularity than their male counterparts, brands often view them as lower-priority investments.
According to the Women’s Sports Trust, despite the upward trajectory of women’s sport, some persistent challenges continue to arise; 2 in 5 brand decision-makers believe that the lower perceived public appeal of women’s sports acts as a deterrent to investment.
Over the past 12 to 18 months, brands have increasingly recognized the potential benefits of partnering with women’s sports. These benefits include promoting female empowerment and the opportunity to drive positive social change.
The initial venture of beauty brands into women’s sports was largely experimental. However, with time, these brands are increasingly recognizing the potential of female sports and athletes. When executed properly, there are opportunities for enduring collaborations that can significantly shape the future of women’s sports.
Women make up a significant portion of the overall sports viewership, however, women are rarely seen as the target audience for sponsorship. This is where the beauty industry has found a position in the market. Female athletes have highly engaging audiences on their social media platforms; Wasserman found that female athletes drive twice the social media engagement than male athletes.
This extends beyond just social media engagement, fans of women’s sports are deeply invested in the athletes’ lifestyles and values, following their journeys both on and off the field.
An example of a beauty brand leveraging the platform provided by female athletes to challenge stereotypes and transform these athletes into role models for young girls is the collaboration between Simone Biles and K18. This partnership appoints the American gymnast as the brand ambassador for K18 Hair, with the agreement reportedly valued at an annual $455,000, according to GlobalData.
Biles, the most decorated gymnast in history, boasting over 12 million Instagram followers, offers the potential to expand her reach into the beauty and haircare industry, thereby engaging with a broader audience.
Ilona Maher, a prominent US rugby star, serves as a brand ambassador for Paula’s Choice skincare. She has also been featured in campaigns for Maybelline and Coppertone and has co-launched a skincare line named Medalist. Maher has successfully cultivated a substantial social media following while seamlessly integrating sponsored content into her online presence. Her authenticity resonates with her audience, particularly attracting female sports enthusiasts.
As mentioned, female sports fans demonstrate heightened engagement on social media platforms. Consequently, Maher’s promotion of beauty products effectively reaches not only a broad audience but also one that is highly engaged.
Several new brands have entered the market that cater specifically to next-generation female athletes. Medalist Skin, as previously referenced, launched ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympics, and offered a product that focused on providing skincare solutions for active women.
In addition, Serena Williams bought out her own cosmetic brand – Wyn Beauty, which offered ‘make-up to move in’. These brands are addressing a gap in the beauty industry, offering makeup and skincare designed for movement.
The Olympic Games present an opportunity for beauty brands to penetrate the women’s sports arena, strategically aligning their collaborations with the year’s most-viewed sporting event. Glossier had secured a long-term agreement to become the inaugural official beauty partner of the USA women’s basketball teams in anticipation of the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
This partnership marks the brand’s second foray into women’s basketball, following its pioneering role as the first-ever beauty partner of the WNBA in 2020.
Under the terms of the agreement, Glossier provided USA basketball players with products for their journeys to the WNBA All-Star weekend and their flights to Europe for the competitions. This arrangement positions Glossier to capitalize on the social media exposure generated by the athletes.
Women’s basketball, mirroring the trend in other women’s sports, has witnessed a significant surge in popularity both in the United States and internationally. Consequently, brands are recognizing the substantial value of partnering with women’s sports.
Unlike the common practice of sponsoring both men’s and women’s teams, Glossier made a deliberate choice to exclusively align with women’s basketball. Beauty brands such as Glossier understand that their partnerships yield the greatest impact when focused on women’s sports.
It was once held that sports and beauty were disparate realms, however, this perception has shifted. The burgeoning popularity of women’s sports, coupled with the substantial female fan base it has cultivated, presents a nearly ideal marketing opportunity. Beauty brands now find strategic value in collaborating with women’s sports teams, leagues, and athletes.
The year 2025 is poised to be a significant one for women’s sports, and it is already evident that beauty and cosmetic brands are eager to participate in this journey.
Maybelline has partnered with Naomi Osaka for the 2025 season, e.l.f. Beauty has agreed to serve as the skin and cosmetics partner for the Billie Jean King Cup, and Clinique has committed to sponsoring England’s Premier Women’s Rugby for the 2024-25 season. These are just a few examples, but overall, such partnerships are a logical step.
