The organizers of English top-tier soccer's Women's Super League (WSL) have struck a new multi-year commercial deal with heavyweight sportswear brand Nike.
Through a tie-up formally unveiled today, Nike has signed on as a partner of the WSL, the second-tier WSL 2, and the Women's League Cup knockout competition.
This adds to an existing partnership between the WSL and Nike, through which the brand has been the competition's ball supplier since the start of the 2022-23 campaign. GlobalData Sport has valued that deal - which will also continue through to 2028 - at the equivalent of $1.25 million per season.
The new deal entails Nike launching league-branded merchandise in collaboration with the WSL Football body, and also providing soccer boots and goalkeeping gloves to all WSL and WSL 2 players who do not currently have personal deals of that nature in place.
The two parties have said that, so far, over 250 players have opted in to that scheme.
For the lifestyle merchandise, this range will include pre-match tops, t-shirts, and hoodies, all featuring league branding, and will go on sale via the Nike online platforms later this month.
This deal has been announced with the 2025-26 season of the 12-team WSL set to get underway on Friday (September 5).
Zarah Al-Kudcy, WSL Football's chief revenue officer, has said: "We listened to feedback from our players, regarding the boots and gloves, and Nike responded. It is symbolic of our new partnership, which goes above and beyond being the league’s ball supplier."
In terms of the WSL's commercial activity, the league has also announced a tie-up with the Ocean Outdoor firm.
That deal sees Ocean Outdoor become the digital out of home (DOOH) partner of the women's league, and entails the firm's network of outdoor screens across 18 UK cities "amplifying key moments across the season," in an effort to "significantly expand the profile and reach of women's professional football across the UK."
In terms of Ocean Outdoor's recent women's soccer dealings, earlier this year, the firm's screens showed action from the UEFA Women's European Championships national team competition in 11 UK cities.
WSL Football was rebranded as such in late June, from its previous name of Women’s Professional Leagues Limited (WPLL).
The rebrand was the first major change WSL Football made since it assumed control of the top two tiers from the Football Association (FA) in August 2024.
WSL Football has responsibility for the 12-team WSL and WSL 2 and is fully operationally independent of the FA (although the body does retain a special share in the organization, giving it rights to a portion of eventual revenue).
The entity is supported by the men’s top-tier Premier League, through a cooperation and funding deal that includes an interest-free loan of £20 million ($25.7 million).
