There was a time, not so long ago, when corporate sponsors at the WNBA All-Star Game could spread out a bit.

That time, according to AT&T, has passed. The telecommunications giant, which has been a league sponsor since 2019 and has partnered with the NBA for considerably longer, says the women's basketball showcase has become a rather more crowded place for marketers — a development the company appears to view as both validation and logistical challenge.

"It's kind of a fun thing to look back and think about what that experience looked like — a much smaller footprint overall," said Sabina Ahmed, assistant vice president of sponsorships and experiential at AT&T, referring to the 2021 All-Star Game, which was also held in Chicago. Since then, she added, there has been "tremendous growth, not only for the number of brands that are participating, but each brand has really grown to the next level in terms of the activations they're doing."

This year's game will be played at the United Center on July 25, and AT&T's primary concern, Ms. Ahmed said, is connectivity — the literal kind. The company plans to offer a product called Turbo Live, which provides enhanced data service to fans in the arena, regardless of whether they are AT&T customers. (The gesture is not entirely altruistic; there is, one assumes, a database somewhere that benefits.)

The brand will also distribute what Ms. Ahmed described as "fashion-forward items," including custom tote bags, in recognition of what she called the league's roots in fashion, beauty, and entertainment. AT&T has maintained long-term relationships with several WNBA athletes, who will be made available for meet-and-greets and social media content.

Ms. Ahmed noted that while both the NBA and WNBA inspire devoted fan bases, research suggests that consumers — men and women alike — are increasingly inclined to support brands that invest in women's sports. "It drives stronger metrics around brand love, perception, and loyalty," she said.

Whether tote bags accomplish that remains, as always, a matter of faith.

Original story published in Marketing Brew: "Inside AT&T’s WNBA All-Star Weekend playbook"