FERNWOOD FITNESS - PULSE eMagazine - Issue#16 - Flipbook - Page 44
The old sponsorship formula
was simple: put an athlete on a
poster, call it inspiration, move
on. Today’s partnerships are
more involved, more personal,
and often more commercially
powerful. A few examples that
capture the new era:
• Milani Cosmetics launched
its “Face Set. Mind Set.”
campaign with elite women
athletes including Jordan
Chiles and Sabrina Ionescu,
tying performance and
identity to products designed
to hold up under heat, sweat
and pressure.
Record breaking events are no
longer a surprise
Big crowds and big numbers are
increasingly part of the women’s
sport story.
The 2025 Women’s Rugby
World Cup in England became
a milestone event, with 444,465
tickets sold and a peak UK
TV audience of 5.8 million for
the 昀椀nal, which was played in
front of 81,885 spectators at
Twickenham’s Allianz Stadium.
Reuters also reported that ticket
sales were tracking at record
levels, with the 昀椀nal announced
as sold out well ahead of kick off.
These numbers are not just
bragging rights. They in昀氀uence
sponsor con昀椀dence, broadcast
negotiations, and investment in
future tournaments.
Athletes are no longer just
ambassadors, they’re co creators
• Eli Lilly partnered with
Simone Biles in a campaign
for its diabetes medicine
Mounjaro, showing how
women athletes are now
central in major mainstream
advertising, including health
focused categories.
• Tennis star Coco Gauff co
designed a capsule with
American Eagle, blending
sport, fashion and cultural
voice in a way that feels
athlete led, not brand led.
• In wellness travel, Kerzner’s
SIRO concept has promoted
specialised 昀椀tness
programming shaped with
athletes, including Boxing
Fitness by Ramla Ali, showing
how women athletes are
in昀氀uencing experiences well
beyond stadiums and courts.
This is the trickle out effect of
women’s sport. It no longer
stays contained within sport. It
shapes how 昀椀tness is marketed,
how wellness is packaged,
and how culture talks about
women’s bodies and strength.
