The National Women’s Hockey League has gained another commercial boost ahead of the new season with the extension of a sponsorship deal with the Dunkin’ restaurant brand.
Dunkin’, which became the league’s first-ever corporate sponsor in its inaugural season in 2015, will remain the NWHL’s official coffee and quick service restaurant. Terms of the partnership were not disclosed.
As part of the deal, Dunkin’s logo will continue to be featured on the front of all team jerseys, while there will be signage on league goal posts and behind each bench.
There will also be brand advertising on the league’s official website, as well as each team website. Dunkin’ will also play a part in special events throughout the NWHL season and playoffs, including All Star Weekend and the Isobel Cup Tour as the league’s championship trophy travels around North America
The five-team, US-based NWHL is continuing to operate despite the fact that more than 200 of the world’s top female ice hockey players pledged to not compete in North America this season in an attempt to gain better pay and working conditions.
Many of those players will instead take part in the rival ‘Dream Gap Tour’, which was organized by the newly-formed Professional Women’s Hockey Players’ Association.
Despite suggestions the league could collapse, the NWHL has secured a media-rights deal with Twitch, and new corporate partnerships with ice cream sandwich brand Chipwich and nutrition brand Veda, as well as renewal of its deal with NYU Langone Health.
“We’re not going anywhere,” NWHL commissioner Dani Rylan recently said. “It’s definitely disappointing, to say the least, when the people that you built a business for, or a platform for, feel that destroying that business is the best way forward.”
As part of a new agreement, the NWHL’s players will share in 50 percent of revenue from the Dunkin’ deal.
In June, the Massachusetts-based Dunkin’ signed a multi-year extension to its position as the Official US Coffee, Donut and Breakfast Sandwich of the NHL.
