Why Las Vegas's Tourism Sponsorship Deal is the Best "We Get It" Flex and Great for the WNBA
By Leroy Adams
Aces power forward A'ja Wilson is lamenting the WNBA's ongoing investigation into the team
$52 billion.
According to the Sports Tourism: State of the Industry report, that's how much direct spending the sports travel sector generated in 2023. The report also noted that in 63 percent of destinations surveyed, sports-related travel is the top generator of hotel room nights in their communities.
Las Vegas tourism made the savvy and sure-to-be Instagram-celebrated move of agreeing to sponsorship deals worth $100,000 with every player on the Las Vegas Aces team, including its two stars, A’ja Wilson and Kelsey Plum.
Reason #1: They said, “We're going to move a little quicker.”
LSU Star Angel Reese declares for WNBA draft with Vogue photo shoot.
They took the do-now and ask-for-forgiveness-laterater approach. Their team understands that business timing is essential; the WNBA is growing, and people, - potential visitors - like you and I, are tuning in. These players deserve their coins now, and the opportunity to bring in business from this growth in popularity is now.
The WNBA is seeing a meteoric rise in popularity and fandom.
WNBA players walking into arenas in their latest styles fill Instagram feeds now. Game highlights and State Farm commercials with Caitlin and Jake are commonplace on Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and television. And YES, I'll be online ready to order a size 10 in the Aja 1s when they launch, courtesy of Aja Wilson's signature shoe deal with Nike.
The game is growing and the opportunities for the players to benefit from their stardom, brands, and businesses are finally coming through.
Reason #2: They Were True To What They Said On Paper
Steve Hill, the Chief Executive Officer and President of Las Vegas Tourism, shares the news with the team.
In his last speech, Dr. King, when addressing the inequality in America, used the phrase "Be true to what you said on paper" basically, "Put up or shut up" regarding equal rights for African Americans. Las Vegas put up some $1.2 million with an Instagram video announcement like "Eh, watch us work," unlike the many corporations and companies still yet to fulfill their 2020 social media curated pledges to Black businesses. Some may say, "Well, it's only $100,000…" Let me stop you right there. It's more than some of the player's current salaries.
According to the website Spotrac, which tracks player salaries, the sponsorship is higher than the earnings of six Aces players. "Definitely more than my salary," said rookie Kate Martin, who makes $67,249, according to an interview with ESPN. "I'm super thankful. Sometimes, I have to pinch myself to make sure I'm not dreaming, but this is very much real life, and that is what all these players deserve. I wouldn't be getting this crazy bonus if it weren't for how great all of these players have played in the last few years."
The $100,000 is also a significant addition to what the top players make. Wilson and Plum are the highest-paid Aces at $200,000 each, and Gray is right behind at $196,267.
Aja Wilson and the Las Vegas Aces celebrate their new
sponsorship deal with Las Vegas Tourism.
The caption to the video of the announcement posted on X by Las Vegas Tourism read: “We’re doing something that’s never been done before. We’re going #ALLINLV and sponsoring EVERY. SiNGLE.PLAYER. on the @LVAes roster this season.” was the caption to the video posting on X by Las Vegas. In the video, you can hear the players celebrate when Steve Hill, the Chief Executive Officer/President, shares the news with the team, “Today, we want to do something that’s never been done before…we want to put money in your pockets.”
This is being true to what you say on paper. This is being true to the values on your website. For Las Vegas, it's their value to 'Do The Right Thing: Represent the entire city and all its people. What we do and how we do it must make them proud."
Sports Tourism is Good for the Local Communities
AP News reported that Caitlin Clark, the #1 draft pick of this year's draft, helped the New York Liberty become the first WNBA team to have $2M+ in 1-game ticket revenue. Caitlin plays for the Indian Fever.
According to Sports Tourism Magazine, the $52 billion generated by the sports tourism sector had a total economic impact of $128 billion, supporting 757,600 jobs and generating $201 billion in tax revenue.
Las Vegas sees the spending power of the sports travel sector. With the two-time defending champion in their backyard and a rockstar rookie class - including NCAA champion Bayou Barbie, Angel Reese, and a Once-in-a-Generation player, Caitlin Clark - growing the visibility of the game and ushering in a new and loyal fan base, Las Vegas Tourism grabbed an opportunity to increase visitors to their city while also supporting the women who make their city great. The Las Vegas Aces released a statement saying "they knew nothing about the deal" and that it was "negotiated and executed between agents, lawyers, and Las Vegas Tourism." if they did know about it and sign off on it, good for them! It would be no different than the Dallas Cowboys forging their deals with Nike and Pepsi in 1995. The other team owners attempted to block them, but they did it anyway. We celebrate their owner as being a savvy and ruthless businessman.
Sponsorship deals between destination marketing offices (DMO) are a clever and creative way to market your destination, build a new relationship with the same market by tapping into a different interest - sports fandom, and create relationships with new travelers whose sole purpose for 2024-2025 is to follow Angel Reese, A’ja Wilson, or Caitlin Clark in whatever city they're playing in.
In 2021, 54% of sports attendees spent the night in the event destination, generating 66.5 million room nights, according to the State of the Industry report. Current travelers will extend their stay if offered player or sports-related experiences. This new economic impact from extended stays fattens the pockets of local small businesses in the transportation, hospitality, and restaurant sectors. The $52 billion generated breaks contributed $13.5 billion on transport, $10.9 billion on lodging, and $9.7 billion on food and beverages.
Sports and travel are becoming more and more entwined. The NBA's many deals with airlines and hotel.com have allowed these brands to monetize consumer travel, get even more niche, and monetize sports travel. Recently, on LinkedIn, the Digital Marketing Manager for FC Cincinnati shared an Apple Maps Guide featuring Nick Hagglund's favorite spots around the city. The description of the guide reads:
This guide is a look into the favorite places of FC Cincinnati's hometown kid, Nick Hagglund. You can now view (and visit) all of Nick's favorite spots for food and fun with his family!
Someone on LinkedIn described it as "a way better "know before you go" guide with more detail and personality."
Las Vegas gets it. Support the game, support the women, and grow your business. When deals like this become public, they have a domino effect across the industry. The first one has fallen; let's see which destination or team will be the next to get it right.