6 Things Unrivaled Nailed, and Why the WNBA and NBA Should Pay Attention
The second year of the three-on-three, player-run, offseason league Unrivaled comes to a close today as the No. 1 seed Phantom BC and No. 2 seed Mist BC face off in the championship with a $600,000 dollar pool.
If the pool's increase from the inaugural season's $50,000 didn't immediately convince you, the league has exploded in popularity.
Unrivaled CEO Alex Bazzell told Bleacher Report that the league is on track to eclipse $40 million in league revenue this season, up more than 48 percent from last season's $27 million revenue.
The league has thrived on taking chances like going on a tour that led to record-breaking attendance. Savvy deals like whiskey giant Maker's Mark's first-ever sports league partnership have turned heads and have been crucial growth resources in year two.
"The viral 'Everyone Watches Women's Sports' is more than a slogan, it's a movement. It reflects a fundamental shift driven by athletes, coaches and organizations who are reimagining the game and expanding its influence across fashion, music, beauty and now spirits," Regan Clarke, U.S. vice president of American Whiskey Brands at Suntory Global Spirits, told Bleacher Report.
As we tune into the championship on TNT tonight, here are the things Unrivaled nailed, and why the WNBA and NBA should pay attention.
The Tour and In-Game Experience
1 of 6
Unrivaled is an eight-team league that plays its games in a Miami-based hub, but in year two, the league has hit the road with eyes set on growth.
The Breeze, Phantom, Lunar Owls and Rose drew 21,490 fans to Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philly on Jan. 31, a record attendance for a regular-season women's professional basketball game and for any event in the venue's history.
According to league officials, Unrivaled made $2 million on the weekend trip to Philly. More than half of that was ticket revenue, the rest coming from merchandise sales and sponsor activations.
The trip was so successful that the league moved its semifinals Monday to Barclays Center in Brooklyn on only a few weeks' notice. It was another sold-out crowd—and even more hype generated—headed into tonight's championship.
"Ultimately the decision came down to we didn't play it safe to build this league, so we don't need to start playing it safe," Bazzell told Sports Business Journal.
The focus on shorter games, faced-paced, three-on-three hoops and the quick double-header turnaround has made for a wildly entertaining in-game experience.
Keep in mind, this is a two-year-old offseason league that was meant to be a viable stateside option for players to make an income reflective of the work they put in and stay in shape while avoiding the hassle of uprooting internationally every year.
This is an idea come to life, created by players, for players with quality of basketball, competition and conditioning in mind. The sold-out crowds speak to the growing demand for women's basketball, but they also speak to Unrivaled's savvy, timely decisions. The success of the tour also speaks to investors' and partners' belief in the league.
The 48 percent increase in league revenue speaks for itself.
Adapting on the Fly
2 of 6
The entire Unrivaled ethos can be summed up by Bazzell's quote about the tour: "We didn't play it safe to build this league, so we don't need to start playing it safe."
The league has thrived on adapting on the fly—the tour in Philly and adding the semifinals in New York City are the most lucrative examples, but there have been plenty of microchanges and additions. The midseason one-on-one single-elimination tournament with a $300,000 total prize pool was a great carryover from the inaugural season, with Chelsea Gray's dramatic rise to the top producing some must-watch games.
They let superstar Angel Reese rejoin her Rose BC team late this season after opting out, and she helped them seal a trip to the playoffs. They knew letting her join would put eyeballs on the league at a crucial time, and it did.
They've let players try their hand at the broadcast booth on nights off, they've scrapped initiatives that haven't worked, and they've brought on activations and sponsors that are the right fit in a moment's notice.
Investing in the Players
3 of 6
The league handed out multi-year contracts to 75 percent of players to insure league stability, and these paychecks add up to the highest-paying deals in women's sports. Big tournament pools—like the $300,000 total prize pool for the one-on-one in-season tournament, and the $600,000 total prize pool for tonight's championship—increase competition and give players extra incentive to play elite basketball.
Beyond money, Sephora Arena features a nursery for children of players and players' families, a glam room equipped with professional makeup artists if players so choose, content rooms where many players produce their own podcasts and a fit -check tunnel equipped with a state-of-the-art camera, professional lighting and an infamous selfie mirror.
The investments make this feel like so much more than just a run-of-the-mill offseason league for the players.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
Smart Content Creation
4 of 6
Unrivaled has seen 5.5 times the engagement rate of any other sports league, and as that figure grows in the organization's second year, this has been by design.
The format of the league is conducive to creating content—all teams play in the same arena, and all players are down to participate in the trend of the day for Unrivaled's gigantic social media team.
There are several content-creation rooms where players like Angel Reese record their own podcasts, and where the content team edits and posts content throughout the day. There's a special mirror, light and camera for the all-important fit check, and sponsorships with Samsung and Sephora are examples of strategically helping on the content front.
Players feel confident with a glam squad on their hands, and they've got state-of-the-art equipment to record on thanks to Samsung. The league works with players and encourages content creation as individual and league social media numbers boom.
Unrivaled has also hosted some huge celebrities like the Kelces in Philly, and this has produced viral moment after viral moment.
Fan Initiatives
5 of 6
Unrivaled has captivated fans by sharing journeys of breakout stars, role players and household names alike. You can watch the league and its social media to follow a budding star's new journey in professional basketball, follow along with your favorites like the StudBudz and their antics, or keep tabs on a superstar like Paige Bueckers.
Multiyear partnerships with brands like Makers Mark, Sephora, Ally, Samsung and Xfinity have insured that the content creation keeps bringing fans into the experience online, and keeps the in-game experience one of the most entertaining in all of professional sports.
There are initiatives like FanFest activations at each game, commemorative ticket programs and access to premium viewing experiences. A favorite? By purchasing a ticket, you enter the chance to win a meet-and-greet with your favorite player if the stars align and she is slated to participate in the meet-and-greet on the same day you are in attendance.
Deliberate Partnerships
6 of 6.png?w=684)
One of the most important facets of Unrivaled has been strategic brand partnerships—and it's not just about the money. Co-founder Napheesa Collier wanted to find partners that genuinely care about the growth of the league and the players, and those that understand the ebbs and flows of starting a new women's sports league.
Maker's Mark, a multiyear partner, has been the perfect example of what that investment looks like and how it has benefited both sides.
Maker's Mark's presence with Unrivaled was structured around hospitality and fan engagement rather than traditional signage‑heavy sponsorship. Signature cocktails like "The Unrivaled Sour" (blackberry-infused) and the "Full Court Espresso Martini" add an attention to in-game detail both partners align on, and Maker's "perfectly unreasonable" platform celebrates the bold entrepreneurship of the player-created league. Maker's has also added VIP spaces in Sephora Arena to enhance fan experience.
"This partnership isn't just about visibility; it's about aligning with a movement that is shaping culture and showing up in a way that is credible, celebratory, community-building and distinctly Maker's Mark," Regan Clarke said. "Unrivaled embodies a bold, 'Perfectly Unreasonable' spirit. The energy is palpable—whether you're in the arena or watching with friends—and the momentum is undeniable."
The partnership with Makers' Mark, and partnerships with Ally, Sephora, Samsung, IcyHot and beyond, show that Unrivaled isn't just feeding into hope that the hype of women's basketball is here to stay—the success of the league is demonstrating longevity in front of our eyes.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
