A Wren Says

If you are not new to social media, chances are you have seen the growing traction of women’s sports. Along with this has come brand deals galore. But why focus on individual athletes at a time when you could have an entire team? Well, clearly Sephora thought the same. More specifically, Sephora Canada is a founding partner of the new Toronto franchise of the WNBA, the Tempo.

This deal with make them the official beauty partner and get their logo featured on the player jerseys. That of course means that every time the team plays spectators, at home and in arena, will see “Sephora.” This deal is important because it, first, signals that the brand, and perhaps LVMH more generally, sees real power in women’s sports and is willing to invest in it. Second, it allows Sephora Canada to attach itself to the image associated with the WNBA. That is a focus on diversity and inclusion, which then is signal that they too have those values. There is also a conversation that we can have now about the “founding partner” role in the development of newer WNBA franchises, as it is a massive signal about the growing financial viability of the league and that businesses are beginning to see the marketing power it has.

I think when the team starts play in 2026, this could be an interesting source of discourse. I would be curious to see how this partnership might impact sales, especially in the Toronto area. Perhaps there would be some in-game activations by Sephora or ways to tie them to the team in local stores. We have over a year before the team starts play. Let’s see what happens in 2026.

You can read the announcement on the Toronto Tempo website here.