The Australian Professional Leagues (APL) soccer organizing body has unveiled global appliance company SharkNinja as the title sponsor of its elite women’s soccer competition, the A-League Women, in a multi-year deal.
Now known as the Ninja A-League, SharkNinja will receive prominent branding around the league’s operations, and collaborate with the APL on joint initiatives such as the continued broadcast of the league’s dedicated magazine show, Dub Zone.
This deal also sees an expansion of the women’s A-League’s free-to-air (FTA) broadcast reach, with Network Ten, the competition’s FTA broadcaster growing its match commitment from one game per season to 10.
APL commissioner Nick Garcia stated of the deal: “This partnership is another exciting step in the growth of the league, as we increase the investment in the game and expand our partnership group to help us elevate the league.”
The A-League Women’s season will begin on November 1 and run through its May 17 grand final.
SharkNinja replaces the A-League Women’s previous title sponsor, the financial services firm Liberty, which had covered the league from the beginning of the 2021-22 campaign through the 2023-24 season that ended in May.
GlobalData Sport estimated the annual value of that sponsorship to be worth $1.5 million for the APL, as per its most recent renewal in 2023, and Garcia stated that while its title sponsorship has ended, Liberty will remain a major partner of the men’s and women’s A-Leagues.
Through the agreement, SharkNinja also becomes a major partner of the A-League Men’s competitions, which is known as the Isuzu UTE A-League as part of a sponsorship deal with the car brand running through 2026.
