The NWSL kicks off its 13th season next month, and one of its original franchises will have a back-of-jersey sponsor for the first time in years. NJ/NY Gotham FC signed a multi-year deal with Dove to put the Unilever brand on its jerseys.
Gotham would not reveal financial details but confirmed that it is the highest back-of-jersey sponsorship deal in the history of the NWSL. The previous record was more than $500,000 for last year’s partnership between expansion club Bay FC and private equity giant Sixth Street, which also owns the team.
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“We want to create partnerships that add value to our fans, the community we serve, our brand and the partner brand,” Ryan Dillon, Gotham’s chief business officer, said in a video interview. “We want to work with brands that are invested in our growth, and we want to work with brands that are valuable. Dove checked all of those boxes.”
Community initiatives are part of many sponsorship agreements, but the fit between Gotham and Dove is like a glove. Last year, Gotham launched its “Keep Her in the Game” initiative that addresses why girls drop out of sports at twice the rate of boys by age 14. The program equips coaches with specialized training and reached more than 500 youth athletes in year one, with the goal to double that in 2025.
“We’re a sports team, and we exist to win, but we do feel we have a bigger purpose,” Dillon said.
Dove started its “Body Confident Sport” program in 2023. It offers 11 to 17-year-old girls coaching tools to build confidence in their bodies and encourage them to stay in sports. The brand’s data shows that 45% of girls drop out of sports due to low body confidence by age 14. On Sunday, Dove ran a 30-second Super Bowl ad about boosting body confidence in young female athletes.
In addition to the jersey placement, Dove will be the presenting sponsor of Gotham’s Keep Her in the Game program.
Last year was a major step forward for the business of Gotham, fresh off its first NWSL Championship in 2023. The club added a new front-of-jersey sponsor in CarMax and per-game attendance jumped 36%; revenue rose roughly 60% overall. In addition, Carolyn Tisch Blodgett, who joined the ownership group in late 2023, took over as the team’s governor. She brings a growth mindset in alignment with other new NWSL investors in recent years.
In September, Sportico pegged the average NWSL team value at $104 million, up 57% from the prior year on the heels of Angel City FC and the San Diego Wave selling stakes at valuations of $250 million and $120 million. Last month, Denver was officially announced as the NWSL’s 16th club for an expansion fee of $110 million, more than double the $53 million Bay FC and BOS Nation FC paid in 2023.
Gotham starts its 2025 season on March 15.
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