SharkNinja has been confirmed as the new multi-season naming rights partner for the Women’s A league, which will be called the Ninja A-league.
SharkNinja is a tech and design company that works on a global scale, they have produced famous household products including the Ninja blenders and Shark cordless vacuum ranges.
It will also, in conjunction with the Ninja A-league, become a major new partner of the Isuzu UTE A-League.
The A-league commissioner Nick Garcia has welcomed the added investment the partnership will have.
“SharkNinja joins the A-Leagues with aligned ambitions; to grow women’s football in Australia and New Zealand, increase the opportunities and pathways for players, and help make the game more visible and accessible for our fans. We can’t wait to see where we take the Ninja A-League Women,” Nick explained in an A-league media release.
One of the future initiatives the partnership has confirmed is a new junior pass for under 16s that will give free entry for the first few rounds of the Ninja A-league to increase stadium-going fans and the family-friendly environment of the games.
This strategy has worked in the A-league before and with the huge numbers of young girls going to the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup and the Women’s A-league. This could be a necessary boost to increase the passionate youthful support that’s been crucial to the growth of Australian female football.
Furthermore, the agreement outlines media developments that will inject interest in the league including the continuation of the Dub Zone newspaper that details the weekly action of the league and in collaboration with the APL and Network Ten plan to increase the number of free-to-air games on 10 Bold for the 2024-25 season.
The number of games will increase from one to ten in a move to hopefully increase the Ninja A-league’s viewership online.
Judy Darling, the VP Commercial of SharkNinja advocates for the company’s excitement at the new partnership.
“Our mission is to positively impact people’s lives every day in every home around the world. This is exactly what our incredible Australian and Kiwi female footballers do – having become such powerful role models for the young and old alike,” Judy explained in an A-league statement.
The A-league’s need for investment means this is a welcomed announcement and could produce more cash flow for the A-league to continue developing Australian football both at the top level and down through the youth leagues.
Only time will tell if this partnership can deliver on its promises, for stakeholders and fans, however, this can be viewed as a step in the right direction.
