How AT&T Is Deepening Its Ties to Women's Sports

Athena seeks to unite brands with its rallying cry

With women’s sports in a time of unprecedented growth, there’s been a great deal of discourse on bolstering the position, power and influence of female athletes of late. But just how do you drive real change across the women’s sports ecosystem, which has historically been challenging from a sponsorship standpoint? AT&T is among the first brands to answer that call by taking the leap.

Back in October 2024, the telecom company, alongside other founding members Deloitte, Cisco and Capital One, launched Athena. The platform unites brands with the goal to increase media visibility, athlete development, fan engagement, collaboration opportunities and more. 

“Athena is really the result of a group of forward-thinking partners who came together with the common goal of driving change across the women’s sports ecosystem,” says Sabina Ahmed, associate vice president of sponsorships and experiential at AT&T. “When you look back at the inflection point the industry was at in 2024, we were in a unique position to really drive awareness, influence and excitement around women’s sports.”

Since its launch, Athena has worked diligently to release critical industry research, hosted a summit seeking to transform the future of brand-athlete partnerships and expanded its membership with the addition of several leading brands. 

For its part, AT&T’s experience with a growing roster of women athletes played an integral role in Athena’s Innovation in Brand-Athlete Partnerships summit. Athena members convened with celebrated female athletes to explore ideas on the future of the brand-athlete relationship. One of the event’s high points featured a conversation with elite athletes Ibtihaj Muhammad, Kylie Ohlmiller and Ali Krieger on how to improve the supporting relationship between athletes and brands that care for them. 

This is a point of pride for AT&T, which has already built a legacy of supporting women in sports. The brand leverages both in person and digital platforms through partnerships with the WNBA, USWNT, MWNT, NCAA, NWSL and numerous women’s athlete endorsement deals. 

“The most eye-opening thing we’ve uncovered throughout our expansive history supporting men’s and women’s sports was the amount of untapped opportunity for the leagues, athletes and brand partners,” says Ahmed. “AT&T has been investing in both men and women’s sports for over a decade. And we’ve been able to leverage unique insights like the fact that female athletes generate twice the engagement of male athletes despite having half the followers. Fans are also 2.8 times more likely to purchase products recommended by women athletes compared to other influencers.”

AT&T has helped elevate women in sports on and off the field via other programs like its flagship platform She’s Connected.

She’s Connected highlights women athletes across sports like basketball, soccer, golf and flag football. Since inception, the series has featured over 17 inspiring women and collectively reached over 100 million views. The annual mentorship program represents a strategic investment in four athlete entrepreneurs each year, amplifying their voices and stories. The program focuses on leveraging AT&T’s portfolio partners to source talent, while providing direct support through the brand’s scale and resources. This offers connectivity, mentorship and a platform to elevate each athlete’s and entrepreneur’s journey.

Other participation includes SeeHer, Women’s Sports Foundation and the presenting sponsor of the Clio Sport Impact Award. Investing in women’s sports is just good business. AT&T’s longstanding partnerships with women athletes and leagues foster authentic relationships that have driven measurable improvements in brand health, including enhanced brand perception and increased engagement. Elsewhere for AT&T, the brand serves as a marquee partner and inaugural Changemaker of the WNBA. And the brand further expanded its impact by becoming a league sponsor for the NWSL and the presenting sponsor of the inaugural NWSL Awards this fall. 

Along with female athletes outpacing their male counterparts in terms of engagement, fans are three times more likely to purchase products recommended by women athletes compared to other influencers. 

“Our work in this space is greater than sponsoring athletes and bringing awareness to women’s sports—it’s about connecting,” says Ahmed. “We’ve been able to create long-term partnerships with women athletes that allow them to connect, inspire and mentor not only sport fans, but a whole new community of entrepreneurs who they wouldn’t have otherwise been connected to at this scale.”

“Athlete support and mentorship are also key elements of some of AT&T’s small business platforms like She’s Connected where we highlight women athletes across basketball, soccer, golf, and flag football who own small businesses and connect them with other local business owners helping them expand their access to resources while growing their community,” Ahmed says. “The platform has featured over 17 women athletes, and the video series has collectively reached over 100 million views. For us, this is just the beginning, and we only see this space growing as awareness of women’s sports continues.”