Here’s how Unrivaled used PR to launch upstart league

Interest in women’s basketball has soared, driven by record WNBA and college viewership.

Building on that momentum, WNBA stars Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier launched Unrivaled, a player-run league featuring a fast-paced, hourlong format tailored for TV audiences. The league debuted in mid-January after a monthslong media rollout that began during the WNBA season.

Unrivaled partnered with Berk Communications on a phased campaign that began with awareness building.

“There’s a wave across all women’s sports, especially women’s basketball, and we’re riding that wave,” said Kirby Porter, Unrivaled’s chief brand officer.

Building the sport of women’s basketball 

The campaign kicked off on May 30, 2024, with Stewart’s appearance on Good Morning America, the morning after she led the WNBA’s New York Liberty to victory at Madison Square Garden.

“We want to start with a bang, but knowing the movement of women’s sports will continue to grow, we’re going to ensure it gets better every year,” Stewart told co-host Robin Roberts.

Growing women’s basketball, was the foundation of Unrivaled’s messaging strategy leading up to the league’s Jan. 17 tipoff.

The league has emphasized its unique, TV-friendly 3-on-3 format in interviews but has primarily focused on its player-owned model, where all participating athletes hold an equity stake.

“We called ourselves Unrivaled, and we’re trying to set the bar for what it means to be a professional athlete, especially on the women’s side,” Collier told CBS Sports.

Adding a second American league allows players to stay in the U.S. year-round rather than going overseas during the WNBA offseason.

“That year-round storytelling is exactly why Unrivaled was created – to continue building these brands and stories throughout the year for women’s basketball players outside of the WNBA season,” said Tish Carmona, the league’s communications director.

Unrivaled’s story has landed in sports publications, national news outlets, business sites  and women-focused sites, such as The Female Quotient.

Letting the stars shine 

Stewart and Collier have been at the forefront of marketing efforts, serving as public faces for the league before other players finalized contracts.

The media team worked with them to refine messaging to align with major league announcements, such as player signings.

“For earned media, Unrivaled typically takes a traditional approach by sending out press releases for major news, which tend to get great pickup on their own,” Carmona said.

But the league also leverages relationships. Carmona, for instance, has connections from her time working for the WNBA and NBA, as do individual players.

As more players signed on, the league strategically leaned into its connection with the WNBA, as all 36 of its players also play in that league.

“Our relationship with the WNBA is huge,” Porter said, describing Unrivaled as a “complementary platform,” offering players a way to build their brands and earnings both on and off the court while generating additional exposure for both leagues.

“We take a collaborative approach,” Porter continued. “We make sure everyone knows they’re WNBA players, and this league gives them a great option in the offseason.”

Unrivaled has looked to capitalize on the heightened interest in women’s basketball led by breakout stars like Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese and Cameron Brink. Clark isn’t playing in Unrivaled this season, but Reese and Brink are.

Reese and Brink, who have millions of followers, have regularly posted behind-the-scenes content featuring practices, locker room moments and personal interactions, helping build fan engagement beyond the court.

“We have such star power behind us, but as a league, we still have to put in the effort to develop the fandom,” Porter said. “We need to speak to women’s basketball fans in a way that builds their connection to the league and the players.”

In-season media strategy 

To engage basketball die-hards, Unrivaled’s media strategy pivoted from a controlled, awareness-based approach to something more proactive, Carmona said.

They moved from simply promoting games on TNT to creating compelling storytelling around team dynamics, key matchups and player rivalries. That’s a major talker right now amid the league’s midseason 1-on-1 player tournament.

“We focus on content through social media and our partnerships with TNT, Bleacher Report and House of Highlights to showcase athletes in unique ways,” Carmona said.

Dedicated WNBA and women’s basketball writers have remained engaged with Unrivaled, especially as news emerges around free agency and the overall momentum in women’s basketball. But what has excited both Carmona and Porter most are national, feature-y placements on the likes of NBC, PBS NewsHour and CBS Mornings.

Good Morning America has continued to provide updates on roster moves and player stories.

The league is also generating coverage from the Miami Herald, AP and USA Today, which might not otherwise cover women’s basketball.

“One of the coolest things has been the engagement from local writers who don’t typically cover the WNBA but are expanding their coverage because of Unrivaled,” Carmona said.

Sustaining growth

In its first week, Unrivaled’s broadcasts peaked at over 364,000 viewers, surpassing several men’s college basketball games airing the same night.

Content from the league’s first weekend on Bleacher Report’s platforms delivered 31 million views, while the B/R W Sports TikTok saw 59% more views than the platform’s average posts this month.

“You can’t just rely on hype to build the brand,” Porter said. “You have to believe in and highlight the quality of the product.”

Casey Weldon is a reporter for PR Daily. Follow him on LinkedIn.