Google will bring WNBA games to national TV as the latest corporate giant to tap into women's sports surge

• Google is the latest "WNBA Changemaker," making the tech giant one of the league's top partners.
• In tandem with ESPN, Google will bring 25 games from the 2021 WNBA season to national television.
• Google will also work to expand the league's marketing and storytelling efforts.

Google is the latest brand to tap into growing demand in the women's sports space.

The technology giant has officially become a "WNBA Changemaker" - joining ESPN, Deloitte, and Nike as the league's top sponsors - as part of the brand's ongoing commitment to elevating and promoting women's sports. In addition to further developing the league's marketing and storytelling efforts through the multiyear partnership, Google will team up with ESPN to bring 25 games from the 2021 WNBA season to national television - either ESPN or ABC - in honor of the league's 25th season.

"When we launched our WNBA Changemakers platform at the beginning of 2020, we issued a call to like-minded companies to join us in elevating women's sports, and Google has answered that call," WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said. "We are incredibly grateful to Google for becoming the latest WNBA Changemaker and for their platform of helpful products for everyone."

"Google's support will be instrumental in driving our business transformation forward and demonstrates a commitment to the values we both stand for - including building sustainable equity," she added.

As part of its new relationship with the league, Google will be the presenting sponsor of the WNBA on ESPN as well as presenting partner of the WNBA Playoffs. The company will also serve as associate partner of both the WNBA All-Star Game on ESPN and the WNBA Commissioner's Cup.

Additionally, the massive Alphabet Inc. subsidiary will become the WNBA's Official Trends and Fan Insights partner as well as a marketing and technology partner for the league.

"It's important to us that our product experiences are equitable for all genders and we want to make sure our media spend is equitable too, bringing more women's content to television," Google Chief Marketing Officer Lorraine Twohill said. "With the WNBA and ESPN, we can help ensure women athletes get the recognition and media time they deserve, so that the world can see their incredible talents."

Google's investment in the league comes on the back of a rising tide in the women's sports space and a standout year for the WNBA on the engagement front. Thanks to a massive broadcast deal with ESPN that included 37 live regular-season games, a plethora of playoff matchups, and the entirety of the Finals, the WNBA had more televised games than ever before in 2020.

Despite ratings dips across much of the world of professional athletics, unprecedented viewership followed. The WNBA saw a 68% increase in its regular-season audience, a 15% viewership jump for the finals, and 30% more engagement across social media.

The WNBA's silver jubilee promises to be one of its most successful seasons yet. With new partnerships, new threads, and new, innovative endorsement deals, Engelbert and the league are poised to bolster recent gains while remaining true to their roots and core values.

And according to Twohill, Google is committed to facilitating that effort.

"For too long now, women's sports have been underrepresented in the media," she said. "The WNBA has worked tirelessly to change that and has been at the forefront of progress for gender equity, racial justice, and sport. We are proud to partner with the WNBA and ESPN over the coming years to continue the charge and deliver on our commitment to gender equity and the future of women."