PWHL Takeover Tour could offer brands similar opportunities to the WNBA’s Canadian games

The GIST: As discussed on yesterday’s episode of The GIST of It, the PWHL’s nine-city Takeover Tour is only three stops in, but there’s already plenty of discussion on where the league will establish its first two expansion franchises later this year.

• But beyond the two lucky cities that will nab PWHL franchises, there are many winners in the process of market testing women’s sports franchises with neutral-site games — just ask the WNBA’s Toronto Tempo. Ballin’.

The tour: Building on 2024’s Takeover Weekend, the Takeover Tour is illuminating potential markets across North America. Seattle’s attendance of 12.6K last week was a season high, which was quickly topped by 19K fans in Vancouver, Canada — beating any Vancouver Canucks crowd this season. Then in Denver, 14K fans broke the pro women’s hockey attendance record in the U.S.

• Plus, Edmonton has sold out tickets for its upcoming game, while Québec City — an early favorite to land an expansion team — is already nearing a sellout with about 18K tickets sold for its Centre Vidéotron venue. Magnifique.

The precedent: The PWHL’s market testing mimics the WNBA’s recent forays into Canada. Before adding its 14th franchise in Toronto last year, the WNBA played preseason matchups in Toronto and Edmonton. Data from 2023’s WNBA game in Toronto illustrated the importance of market testing in sports: WNBA fandom doubled among Canadian sports fans following the game.

• Canadian companies took advantage of the WNBA opportunities, with at least 15 sponsors stepping up for the 2023 game. Many of them returned for Edmonton in 2024, including Tangerine, Canadian Tire, and Air Canada.

Zooming out: The tour is an exciting, rare opportunity to cultivate fandom in new markets — and for brands, it can get them in with women’s sports fans who are likely to be brand loyal and scoop up merch. While last year’s Takeover Weekend featured a presenting sponsor, this year’s tour lacks the same level of brand support despite high attendance and fan engagement.

• The PWHL has already banked close to 50 corporate sponsorships, but these neutral-site games give brands a unique opportunity to make headway with underserved fanbases. That’s what Canadian bank Tangerine built toward in its WNBA partnership, which produced tangible results among Canadian W fans. Do the math.