Pinterest is officially in the sports marketing game.
The platform announced it is an official arena partner of the 2024 WNBA champions, the New York Liberty — the latest in an increasing number of brands investing in women’s sports, with women’s basketball especially seeing a surge in interest in recent years.
In addition to a branded presence on the court and exclusive content curated to inspire the team’s passionate fanbase, including book recommendations, nail art, hair and fashion looks and a dedicated page for its wildly popular mascot Ellie the Elephant, the partnership also entails promotion of initiatives such as National Girls and Women in Sports Day and the refurbishment of basketball backboards at local courts in New York.
“In the past few years, Pinterest has been more intentional about showing up IRL to meet our users where they are,” Pinterest global head of consumer marketing Sara Pollack told Campaign. “Now is the ideal time for Pinterest’s first official sports partnership with the New York Liberty because WNBA fandom is surging on our platform.”
Pollack said that in the past year alone, the platform has seen huge increases in searches for Liberty players, tunnel outfits and WNBA-lifestyle inspiration, with topics such as “WNBA tunnel outfits” up 2,035% and “Sabrina Ionescu shoes pink” up 1,706%.
“Our users are planning every aspect of their fandom on Pinterest, and this partnership lets us connect with them at a time of unprecedented excitement and engagement around the Liberty team,” she said. “We’re stepping into the sports arena because women’s sports aren’t just having a moment— they’re shaping culture. The athletes at the heart of it aren’t just players, they’re icons of strength, style and self-definition.”
Searches of the players and their styles on the site since its historic win have risen exponentially, with Sabrina Ionescu, Breanna Stewart and Natasha Cloud garnering the most attention at 239%, 346% and 554% respectively.
“The New York Liberty are excited to partner with Pinterest for their first-ever sports partnership at a time when women’s basketball is garnering more attention than ever,” said Keia Clarke, CEO of the New York Liberty, in a statement. “Our partnership will focus on inspiring and building community, and we are eager to join forces with Pinterest to provide our fans with new opportunities to explore their passions, find their voice and engage with the Liberty brand in new ways.”
In comparison to other platforms, Pollack says its users — known as “Pinners” — are more likely to say that sports influences their purchases across other brand categories. “They’re not just watching sports — they’re actively participating in the culture through outfits, nails, hair, parties, meal prep, books and more,” she says.
She continued: “This is our first partnership, so only time will tell how it develops. One thing is clear: Sports are playing an increasingly important role in the lives of Pinterest users and are influencing the brands and products they choose.”
Addressing the ‘Big Ellie’ fans in the room
While the Liberty’s on-court achievements are deserving of accolades, the rise of Ellie’s popularity has been one the media has watched with great interest and fanfare. The mascot had the unique distinction of starring in a recent Essie campaign, walking the red carpet at award shows and scoring her very own digital cover for Slam Magazine. Pollock says searches for Ellie have increased on the site by 168%.
Although she couldn’t divulge a lot of details, Pollack, who proudly proclaimed that Ellie is “already a Pinterest girlie,” says the brand has “fun plans” entailing her throughout the season, noting they were very excited about an upcoming celebration of the mascot’s 4th birthday during the team’s June 1 game at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center.
“This partnership is not just about logo placements or halftime shout-outs, but about amplifying the culture around the game,” said Pollack. “The partnership is backed by user search data — we are making decisions not only on what we see from our users on the platform, but also on emerging cultural trends and the people who are shaping these conversations.”
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