When it comes to March Madness sponsorships, one size doesn’t fit all

Every March, college basketball takes center stage, capturing attention far beyond the court. It garners millions of viewers, sparks rivalries, and drives massive brand visibility. With women’s basketball now reaching record-breaking viewership and unprecedented cultural relevance, it’s tempting to assume that audiences for men’s and women’s tournaments have become similar enough for a shared sponsorship approach. However, Qloo’s affinity data clearly demonstrates that these audiences remain distinct, making tailored sponsorship strategies more important than ever.

We used Qloo’s Taste AI™ to analyze audience affinities toward current March Madness sponsors. While the audience demographics provided by the March Madness media kit may have initially aligned with each brand’s marketing targets, Qloo introduces an additional, critical layer of insight: the specific brand affinities of these audiences. Our data reveals significant gaps between men’s and women’s engagement with key sponsors, highlighting opportunities for brands to further refine their sponsorship decisions and maximize the impact of their investments.

Current sponsors: Who’s connecting, and who’s missing the mark?

The current official sponsors of both the Men’s and Women’s March Madness tournaments include major names: AT&T, Capital One, Coca-Cola, Buffalo Wild Wings, Buick, Geico, The Home Depot, Intuit, Marriott Hotels, LG, Invesco, Nabisco, Nissan, Pizza Hut, Reese’s, and Wendy’s. On the surface, partnering across both tournaments might seem efficient, but Qloo’s data tells a different story.

Some sponsors are well-suited for the opportunity: Reese’s and Pizza Hut earn strong affinity scores from both men who like NBA and women who like WNBA (men: Reese’s 74.37, Pizza Hut 80.04; women: Reese’s 75.11, Pizza Hut 75.71). These brands have successfully tapped into tastes that transcend gender lines, making their March Madness sponsorship a true slam dunk.

But certain brands exhibit a sharp divide in affinity. Nissan, LG, AT&T, and Buick all have significantly lower affinity scores among women compared to men. For example, Nissan resonates strongly with men (83.20), but affinity drops dramatically among women (61.37). LG and Buick follow a similar pattern (LG: men 77.45, women 59.25; Buick: men 81.75, women 59.86). Even AT&T, traditionally a broad-appeal brand, sees a notable drop (men 80.97, women 69.18).

Of course, many brands intentionally use sponsorships to reach new audiences and expand their appeal—it’s a strategic way to grow brand presence. However, Qloo’s data provides critical insights into your brand’s current level of affinity with these audiences. This allows you to pinpoint exactly how much ground your messaging needs to cover and to develop campaigns specifically tailored to resonate with new or previously underserved segments. By leveraging this deeper understanding, brands like Nissan, LG, AT&T, and Buick can maximize their sponsorship investments and ensure their messaging truly connects.

Who should be sponsoring the women’s tournament?

With clear differences emerging between how men and women resonate with the current sponsors, it’s time to explore alternative sponsors ideas. By analyzing the interests of women who like the WNBA, we found several standout brands that could better capitalize on the growing enthusiasm for women’s basketball.

In the automotive category, brands like Jeep (78.70) and BMW (78.36) resonate strongly with female basketball fans, exceeding current sponsor Buick’s relatively low affinity score (57.30). These brands not only boast robust affinity scores but also offer a compelling mix of adventure, style, and prestige that aligns naturally with the WNBA’s audience.

Turning to the electronics space, Qloo’s data recommends Beats (82.26) and Fitbit (80.38)—brands that significantly outperform LG’s lower affinity (61.30). Both Beats and Fitbit have powerful lifestyle-driven messages that align with women’s interests in fitness, health, and entertainment, making them ideal sponsors for the women’s tournament.

Finally, within telecom, while AT&T has lower resonance among women (68.80), Verizon (76.20) emerges as a better-connected alternative. Verizon’s strong brand recognition combined with its affinity advantage makes it a prime candidate to step into a women’s March Madness sponsorship role.

‍Going local: Sponsorships that win in San Antonio and Tampa

National sponsorships deliver broad visibility, but March Madness also presents a major opportunity to connect directly with local audiences, especially in the cities hosting the Final Four. Fans bring distinct tastes shaped by local culture, creating prime opportunities for brands to engage through hyper-targeted activations and experiential marketing. We used Qloo’s Taste AI to analyze which brands resonate most powerfully in the cities hosting this year’s Final Fours: Tampa, Florida for the women, and San Antonio, Texas for the men. 

In Tampa, affinity scores among women who like the WNBA point clearly toward standout brands like Poshmark (90.58), PacSun (90.06), and Chipotle (89.29). These companies have a unique opportunity to leverage their existing local strength to create meaningful interactions around the tournament. For instance, Chipotle could increase its impact by launching promotions linked to key games or athlete appearances, while PacSun or Poshmark could engage consumers effectively through targeted merchandising or digital marketing tailored to local trends.

For San Antonio, men’s affinity data reveals powerful local connections with brands like Dick’s Sporting Goods (91.52), Xbox (91.42), and Taco Bell (87.72). These insights suggest practical, market-aligned strategies: Taco Bell could introduce special-edition products or promotions timed with the tournament, Dick’s Sporting Goods might create localized experiences tied directly to basketball culture, and Xbox could leverage event-driven activations or targeted digital experiences to deepen engagement.

Brands that leverage localized insights rather than generic national strategies significantly improve their potential for authentic consumer engagement. By aligning sponsorship activities with demonstrated local market preferences, sponsors position themselves to maximize relevance, impact, and ultimately, business results—and Qloo helps it all come together. 

Why this matters

Sponsorships succeed when they genuinely resonate with the people they’re intended to reach. Traditionally, brands evaluate partnerships using insights provided by resources like media kits, which offer a broad picture of viewership and attendance. However, relying solely on these general demographics—without considering your audience’s diverse and differentiated tastes—risks diluting the impact and efficiency of your marketing efforts. Qloo’s data clearly shows that fans of the men’s and women’s tournaments have distinct and nuanced brand preferences. By going beyond demographics to understand audience tastes, brands can forge more meaningful, memorable connections, making every sponsorship dollar count.

With Insights by Qloo™, you can move beyond guesswork, aligning your sponsorship decisions directly to consumer interests. Whether it’s choosing sponsors that naturally resonate or creating localized activations tailored to specific communities, data-driven insights help you maximize every marketing dollar.

If your goal is smarter, more precise sponsorships, Qloo can get you there.

Schedule a demo today to see what Qloo’s Taste AI can reveal about your brand.

The information in this report is based on the data from Qloo's proprietary Insights by Qloo tool which can be used to summarize general public opinion output. Qloo and the authors of this article disclaim any rights to the third-party trademarks used herein.