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Business Upturn
22-04-2025
- Automotive
- Business Upturn
CarMax, Gotham FC Extend Mission-Driven Partnership, Driving Growth and Impact
JERSEY CITY, N.J., April 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Gotham FC, the preeminent top-tier professional women's soccer club in the New York region, announced on Tuesday the multi-year extension of its marquee partnership with CarMax (NYSE: KMX), the nation's largest retailer of used cars. The renewed partnership continues the dynamic relationship between the two brands, deepening their shared commitment to community and the growth of women's sports. As part of this renewed collaboration, CarMax will remain the front-of-kit sponsor of Gotham FC, with prominent logo placement on the club's kits. CarMax is also the presenting partner of the Gotham FC regular season and Fan Fest at Sports Illustrated Stadium in addition to regional game broadcasts on MSG Networks, the Gotham FC player of the match award, the CarMax Kids program and an original content series set to be released later this season. 'CarMax and Gotham have a shared goal of creating opportunities that drive value and positive impact for women's sports, fans and the community,' said Sarah Lane, SVP, chief marketing officer at CarMax. 'Gotham FC was our first club partner in the NWSL, and we are proud to further our commitment to the team, its players and the league. Over the years, we've collaborated on numerous initiatives to enhance the visibility of the team and the game, and we're excited about what we'll continue to accomplish together in the future.' 'What started as a shared vision three years ago has grown into a powerful partnership, and we're proud to be continuing that journey with CarMax,' said Ryan Dillon, Chief Business Officer at Gotham FC. 'We couldn't think of better partners than CarMax. Their commitment to creating real impact for our fans, players and community is truly remarkable. Together, we share a common goal of elevating the sport, and we're paving the way for what a modern-day partnership should look like.' CarMax and Gotham FC first partnered in 2022, with the CarMax logo featured on Gotham FC's kit sleeve and CarMax becoming the club's exclusive used auto retailer. The relationship blossomed from there, with CarMax investing year over year in supporting the club's growth and fan experiences. Over the last few years, CarMax has partnered with Gotham FC on cross collaborations with the New York Liberty on merchandise, ticket offerings and community sports clinics; invested in a dedicated spend for marketing and ticket campaigns; and provided enhanced game day experiences for fans at Fan Fest. As part of the continued partnership in 2026, CarMax will invest in fan experiences through new digital content to bring the stadium atmosphere to fans at home, additional parking offers and incentives for game days and a community program providing free-to-play clinics for youth soccer players. As the presenting partner of CarMax Kids, CarMax works with Gotham to help enable youth attendance at home games by providing local nonprofits with a limited number of free tickets, transportation to and from Sports Illustrated Stadium and – new this season – complimentary meal vouchers for in-stadium use. The program has served more than 530 young people to date. The continued partnership between CarMax and Gotham FC is a testament to the success the brands have shared year-over-year and a genuine commitment to growing the sport and creating access for underserved communities. Queen Kriegs Night, presented by CarMax, will celebrate the career of U.S. Women's National Team and Gotham FC legend Ali Krieger at the club's Oct. 19 home finale. CarMax was also the presenting partner of Gotham FC's 2025 home opening 'Blue Out,' distributing 5,000 Gotham FC kit replica rally towels and kicking off an evolved version to its 2024 parking program, offering 100 fans the 'perfect parking package' complete with tickets to CarMax title nights, free parking and discounted merchandise at Sports Illustrated Stadium. The 'perfect parking program' nearly sold out in a day. CarMax's annual dedicated investment to amplify Gotham FC marketing initiatives has helped support a 27% rise in Gotham's social media following, a 67% increase in average home game attendance, and doubling of Gotham FC's season tickets holders since 2023. These efforts, combined with innovative activations, also resulted in an unaided partnership awareness growth of 36pp for CarMax among Gotham FC fans between 2023 and 2024, surpassing the industry benchmark by 56% based on fan data collected by Gotham FC. Considered one of the top women's soccer clubs in the world, Gotham FC started the 2025 NWSL season in March, loaded with U.S. Women's National Team stars, World Cup winners, Olympic medalists and European and South American champions. Gotham, which won the 2023 NWSL championship and finished third in 2024, will play 13 regular season home games this year at Sports Illustrated Stadium. Tickets to Gotham FC matches are available at For more information on Gotham FC's 2025 season and the CarMax partnership, please visit ABOUT CARMAX CarMax, the nation's largest retailer of used autos, revolutionized the automotive retail industry by driving integrity, honesty and transparency in every interaction. The company offers a truly personalized experience with the option for customers to do as much, or as little, online and in-store as they want. During the fiscal year that ended February 28, 2025, CarMax sold approximately 790,000 used vehicles and 540,000 wholesale vehicles at its auctions. In addition, CarMax Auto Finance originated more than $8 billion in receivables during fiscal 2025, adding to its nearly $18 billion portfolio. CarMax has 250 store locations, over 30,000 associates, and is proud to have been recognized for 21 consecutive years as one of the Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For®. CarMax is committed to helping its communities thrive and reducing the environmental footprint of its operations. Learn more in the 2024 Responsibility Report. For more information, visit ABOUT GOTHAM FC Representing New Jersey and New York with top global players, Gotham FC is one of 14 teams in the National Women's Soccer League. In 2023, Gotham FC won the NWSL championship, clinching the club's first NWSL title after previously advancing to its first NWSL final appearance in the 2021 NWSL Challenge Cup Final. Rebranded as Gotham FC in 2021, the club plays its home matches at Sports Illustrated Stadium in Harrison, N.J. Founded in 2007, the club won the inaugural Women's Professional Soccer championship in 2009 and was a founding member of the NWSL when the league was established in 2013. Attachment Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with GlobeNewswire. Business Upturn takes no editorial responsibility for the same.
Yahoo
15-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
NWSL's Gotham FC Signs Record Back-of-Jersey Deal With Dove
The NWSL kicks off its 13th season next month, and one of its original franchises will have a back-of-jersey sponsor for the first time in years. NJ/NY Gotham FC signed a multi-year deal with Dove to put the Unilever brand on its jerseys. Gotham would not reveal financial details but confirmed that it is the highest back-of-jersey sponsorship deal in the history of the NWSL. The previous record was more than $500,000 for last year's partnership between expansion club Bay FC and private equity giant Sixth Street, which also owns the team. More from No Women Among 100 Highest-Paid Athletes Despite Business Gains Portland's NWSL, WNBA Teams to Build $150M Training Facility NWSL Makes Denver Expansion Team Official for Record $110M Fee 'We want to create partnerships that add value to our fans, the community we serve, our brand and the partner brand,' Ryan Dillon, Gotham's chief business officer, said in a video interview. 'We want to work with brands that are invested in our growth, and we want to work with brands that are valuable. Dove checked all of those boxes.' Community initiatives are part of many sponsorship agreements, but the fit between Gotham and Dove is like a glove. Last year, Gotham launched its 'Keep Her in the Game' initiative that addresses why girls drop out of sports at twice the rate of boys by age 14. The program equips coaches with specialized training and reached more than 500 youth athletes in year one, with the goal to double that in 2025. 'We're a sports team, and we exist to win, but we do feel we have a bigger purpose,' Dillon said. Dove started its 'Body Confident Sport' program in 2023. It offers 11 to 17-year-old girls coaching tools to build confidence in their bodies and encourage them to stay in sports. The brand's data shows that 45% of girls drop out of sports due to low body confidence by age 14. On Sunday, Dove ran a 30-second Super Bowl ad about boosting body confidence in young female athletes. In addition to the jersey placement, Dove will be the presenting sponsor of Gotham's Keep Her in the Game program. Last year was a major step forward for the business of Gotham, fresh off its first NWSL Championship in 2023. The club added a new front-of-jersey sponsor in CarMax and per-game attendance jumped 36%; revenue rose roughly 60% overall. In addition, Carolyn Tisch Blodgett, who joined the ownership group in late 2023, took over as the team's governor. She brings a growth mindset in alignment with other new NWSL investors in recent years. In September, Sportico pegged the average NWSL team value at $104 million, up 57% from the prior year on the heels of Angel City FC and the San Diego Wave selling stakes at valuations of $250 million and $120 million. Last month, Denver was officially announced as the NWSL's 16th club for an expansion fee of $110 million, more than double the $53 million Bay FC and BOS Nation FC paid in 2023. Gotham starts its 2025 season on March 15. Best of NFL Private Equity Ownership Rules: PE Can Now Own Stakes in Teams Most Expensive Sports Memorabilia and Collectibles in History Why Sports Tickets Are More Expensive Than Ever
