• by Danielle Oster , January 10, 2025

Samsung is getting in on the ground floor in a founding partnership with a new women’s basketball league.

Samsung Galaxy will be an inaugural partner for Unrivaled, the new three-on-three professional women’s basketball league founded by WNBA stars Napheesa Collier (of the Minnesota Lynx)  and Breanna Stewart (New York Liberty).

Through the agreement, Samsung Galaxy will serve as the league’s technology and presenting partner, with devices including the company’s  smartphone, wearables, headphones and tablets used exclusively by the league.

Unrivaled will deploy Samsung Galaxy technology to “revolutionize the fan experience” with “first-of-its-kind footage, content and enhancements” of pre-game, in-game, and post-game coverage, according to a release announcing the news. Samsung claims this will include “more than 600 hours of social-first content.”

The Samsung Galaxy Ring and Galaxy Watch will also be integrated into the league’s training program to track player performance. Samsung Galaxy tablets will be used by the league to access real-time data for each of Unrivaled’s six teams and their coaching staff.

Unrivaled’s first game will tip off at its Miami headquarters on Jan. 17. Its inaugural, eight-week season will run through March, and feature live game coverage on TNT and truTV, as well as streaming on Max. The league includes 36 players across six teams.

“Samsung is a brand that opens people up to new and different experiences -- breaking barriers, redefining what's possible through our technology and celebrating differentiated human stories and points of view,”  Olga Suvorova, vice president, mobile experience marketing at Samsung Electronics America said in a statement. “That same spirit lies at the heart of Unrivaled and its groundbreaking mission to literally change the game for its players and fans,” Suvorova added, claiming the partnership would “help bring our shared vision to life, from the innovative ways our Galaxy technology will take fans closer to the game, to celebrating the league’s athletes who each embrace pushing boundaries in their own right.”

The agreement is part of a wider focus on sports marketing, for Samsung Galaxy “a shift to further connect with the people and properties that are driving change in sport and society.” The brand hinted at upcoming announcements of additional athletes joining the Samsung Galaxy roster in the coming weeks.

News of its founding partnership with Unrivaled arrives ahead of Samsung’s “Galaxy Unpacked” event on January 22, where it is expected to reveal the S25 series ahead of a February release.

Last October, Samsung entered into a partnership with inclusive gaming and lifestyle brand XSet to spotlight  women gamers like the organization’s XSET Queens group, and  encourage broader representation in gaming.