SPORTS BEAUTY MAGIC : 5 POWERFUL COLLABS TO KNOW

Sports beauty collabs have moved from a cute add‑on to a serious strategy. Brands are using these partnerships to reach fans where they already are: watching games, scrolling highlights, and following their favorite athletes’ every move. 

Beauty sports collabs are not just about style. They are backed by real audience growth. Nielsen reported 46 billion minutes of women’s sports were consumed in 2025, and McKinsey found women’s sports sponsorship revenue rose sharply as brands rushed in.

That makes beauty partnerships with women’s sports a smart move, not a trend. 

These campaigns work when they respect both sides of the story. The best sports beauty collabs honor performance and style, rather than treating glam as an afterthought.​

1. ULTA BEAUTY ROSTER - A WHOLE TEAM OF ATHLETES

Ulta Beauty’s “Ulta Beauty Roster” is one of the clearest signs that sports beauty collabs are here to stay.

The retailer signed six pro women athletes across multiple sports: Anna Leigh Waters (pickleball), Dearica Hamby (basketball), Emma Navarro (tennis), Madisen Skinner (volleyball), Midge Purce (soccer), and Vanita Krouch (flag football) to lead a multi‑year marketing push. 

Instead of a one‑off ad, Ulta is building a long story with these women. The Roster is featured in community stories, social campaigns, and multichannel content that highlights resilience, confidence, and what it means to be both an athlete and a beauty fan.

Not only that, but they are also giving back. Ulta launched ‘Roster for Change,’ a grant program to help keep young girls in sports by offering targeted assistance, including participation fees, equipment, team transportation, and more.

This campaign shows how a beauty brand can enter sports with real commitment. Ulta frames the athletes as mentors and role models for girls in sports, tying brand values to participation and empowerment, not just products.

2. SEPHORA X UNRIVALED - TUNNEL WALKS MEET GAME TIME

Sephora’s partnership with Unrivaled, a new 3-on-3 professional women’s basketball league founded by WNBA stars Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier, is a standout in sports beauty collabs.

As the league’s official and exclusive beauty partner, Sephora outfits a glam room at Unrivaled’s facility and supplies curated products for players and media personnel all season.

The deal goes beyond logos on a court. Sephora’s brand shows up as the arena’s namesake, in the player arrival tunnel, on‑court signage, and integrated content that follows athletes from walk‑in to post‑game. This makes beauty part of game‑day culture, not just a sponsor badge.

This campaign is strong because it turns rituals the players already have, pregame fits with hair and makeup, and resetting after games, into storytelling moments. In the world of sports beauty collabs, that kind of everyday visibility matters more than a single commercial.

3. GLOSSIER X WNBA - TELLING PLAYERS’ STORIES

Glossier’s partnership with the WNBA started in 2020 and has continued to be a key example of sports beauty collabs done right. As the Official Beauty Partner, Glossier activates at league events and creates WNBA‑themed content that amplifies players’ voices and stories.

The brand’s presence shows up in courtside signage, gifting programs for players, and influencer events at games. This lets Glossier connect its “real skin, real people” image with real athletes, not just models.​ The brand most recently glammed every athlete ahead of the 2024 WNBA draft.

This collaboration stands out because it treats WNBA players as full people with lives, routines, and opinions. Instead of only pushing products, the content focuses on confidence, identity, and community. That approach gives other sports beauty collabs a strong example of how to center athletes instead of overshadowing them.

4. TEAM-LEVEL PARTNERSHIPS - BEAUTY ON HOME COURTS

Beyond league‑wide deals, team‑level campaigns have helped shape modern sports beauty collabs. When a beauty brand partners with a single team, it can build a very local, very loyal fan connection.​

ESPN and Nielsen both reported that the 2025 WNBA season was the most-watched full season ever on ESPN networks, with average viewership around 1.2 to 1.3 million across regular-season and postseason games.

One of the most notable deals is when Fenty Beauty and Fenty Skin became the official partner of the New York Liberty. In this collaboration, the Fenty Beauty logo is on game-day warm-up jackets and their warm-up shirts.

The brands often show up in tunnel walk content, in‑arena experiences, and on everyone’s favorite mascot, Ellie the Elephant. Other prominent team collabs: Orly X LA Sparks, Covergirl X Chicago Sky, and Laniege X Phoenix Mercury.

Team‑level beauty sports collabs work best when the brand taps into the team’s existing identity. A city like New York, known for fashion or street style, can inspire bolder looks and social content. The focus is on making fans feel seen and stylish in the stands, not just on selling products.

5. ATHLETE-DRIVEN NIL DEALS - COLLEGE STARS AS BRAND BUILDERS

Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deals have opened a whole new lane for sports beauty collabs. Now, college athletes can sign with beauty brands and bring their real routines and daily lives into the spotlight.​

These campaigns often live on social media, where athletes share “get ready with me” videos, game‑day routines, and post‑practice skincare.

NYX Cosmetics had JuJu Watkins, one of the NCAA’s newest stars, playing at the University of Southern California, as their first college athlete in a campaign that featured ads on social media and throughout the LA campus area.

When done well, NIL‑based sports beauty collabs show young fans that they can be serious about both performance and personal style.

They also give brands a pipeline to future pros and a chance to support athletes earlier in their careers. One of the most memorable is former LSU and current Chicago Sky standout Angel Reese, a member of the first class of athletes to have played their college career during the NIL beginnings.

Mielle Organics haircare was one of her first college deals and is a brand she still works with today.

LESSONS FOR FUTURE SPORTS BEAUTY COLLABS

These five examples point toward what future sports beauty collabs can learn. Brands should start by asking what role they play in an athlete’s real life, then build campaigns around that answer.

The business case is strong as well. McKinsey estimated that women’s sports represent a $2.5 billion opportunity, and Parity reported that WNBA sponsor value increased 312% year over year.

Parity also found that women’s sports delivered major brand exposure, including 1.7 million brand exposures in the WNBA tied to $395 million in sponsor media value. 

The strongest campaigns share value with the community. Whether it is Ulta’s focus on encouraging girls to stay in sports or Unrivaled’s glam room, making players feel seen, the message is bigger than a product. That bigger story keeps fans watching, sharing, and remembering each collaboration. 

🪽 Written by Erica Bussey