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# Mortgage Choice adds WNBL to NBL deal as crowds surge
- URL: https://www.promptthemarket.com/mortgage-choice-adds-wnbl-to-nbl-deal-as-crowds-surge/
- Published: 2026-09-12T02:30:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-17T06:28:25.000Z
- Description: Mortgage Choice has added the WNBL to its existing NBL partnership, covering both competitions for the 2026/27 season. The brokerage joined Australian basketball as an official NBL partner in 2025/26, so this is year two in the sport and year one across the women's competition.
- Author: Editor News
- Tags: Marketing, Brands, #author-james-dore, #by James Dore

![James Dore](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e4/01/e4017178-c1da-4131-80aa-35f02cb5b999/content/images/2026/09/james-dore.jpg)

By **James Dore** · 2026-09-13

TLDR

Mortgage Choice has expanded its NBL partnership to cover the Women’s National Basketball League (WNBL) for the 2026/27 season, its second year in Australian basketball. The WNBL drew nearly 200,000 fans last season, with social impressions up 380 per cent, making it one of the fastest-growing sponsorship properties in the country.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

01Mortgage Choice extended its NBL deal to cover the WNBL for the 2026/27 season, announced 10 September 2026.

02WNBL attendance climbed 43 per cent to nearly 200,000 fans in 25/26, with social impressions up 380 per cent.

03Every NBL and WNBL game broadcasts live on ESPN; WNBL matches also stream on 9Now.

04Early corporate sponsors of women's elite sport generate more than $650 million in customer value each year, per a Victorian Government report.

05Philanthropic giving to women's and girls' sport reached $22.8 million in FY25, up $11.3 million on the prior year.

## The deal

Mortgage Choice has added the WNBL to its existing NBL partnership, covering both competitions for the 2026/27 season.\[1\] The brokerage joined Australian basketball as an official NBL partner in 2025/26, so this is year two in the sport and year one across the women's competition.\[1\]

NBL27 opens on Saturday 19 September 2026\. WNBL27 follows on Thursday 15 October.\[1\] Every game across both leagues broadcasts live on ESPN, with WNBL matches also streaming on 9Now.\[1\]

## What both sides said

NBL Group chief executive David Stevenson said the expansion was a logical progression. "Mortgage Choice has been alongside us since last season, and this expansion into the WNBL is a natural next step in a partnership that continues to grow," Stevenson said.\[1\]

Mortgage Choice chief executive Anthony Waldron said the second year builds on a strong first. "We had a great first year with the NBL. We are thrilled to be deepening the relationship by also partnering with the Women's National Basketball League (WNBL) this year," Waldron said.\[1\]

## Why the numbers make it interesting

The WNBL's 25/26 season produced a 43 per cent rise in attendance to nearly 200,000 fans, a 130 per cent lift in broadcast reach, and a 380 per cent jump in social media impressions.\[5\] Those are the figures a brand buys before they are priced in. Google, Reebok and Sephora all joined the WNBL as new partners in the same cycle.\[5\]

For a financial services brand targeting first-home buyers and mortgage refinancers, the audience skew matters. Women's basketball pulls a younger, more female crowd than the NBL's core base, and dual-screen placement across ESPN and 9Now extends that reach into free-to-air territory.

## The market behind the move

A Victorian Government report from July 2023 found that early corporate sponsors of women's elite sport in Australia generate more than $650 million in customer value each year, with a $125 million annual investment gap still separating women's and men's sport sponsorship.\[2\] The commercial logic: that gap is upside for brands willing to act before parity closes it.

Philanthropic giving to women's and girls' sport hit $22.8 million in FY25, up $11.3 million on the prior year, according to the Australian Sports Foundation.\[3\] Institutional money chasing audience growth tends to confirm that the audience growth is genuine. WNBL27 tips off on 15 October 2026.

SOURCES & CITATIONS

1. [NBL and WNBL announce expanded partnership with Mortgage Choice](https://www.nbl.com.au/news/nbl-and-wnbl-announce-expanded-partnership-with-mortgage-choice?ref=promptthemarket.com)
2. [The Value of You Can Be What You Can See, Victorian Government](https://sport.vic.gov.au/resources/the-value-of-you-can-be-what-you-can-see?ref=promptthemarket.com)
3. [FY25 Giving for Sport, Australian Sports Foundation](https://asf.org.au/resources/blog/fy25-giving-for-sport?ref=promptthemarket.com)
4. [Women in Sport, Australian Sports Commission Clearinghouse](https://www.ausport.gov.au/clearinghouse/evidence/women-in-sport?ref=promptthemarket.com)
5. [WNBL reaches new heights, WNBL](https://www.wnbl.com.au/news/wnbl-reaches-new-heights?ref=promptthemarket.com)

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What competitions does the Mortgage Choice partnership now cover?

From the 2026/27 season, Mortgage Choice is an official partner of both the National Basketball League (NBL) and the Women's National Basketball League (WNBL).

Where can fans watch NBL and WNBL games?

Every NBL and WNBL game broadcasts live on ESPN. WNBL matches also stream on 9Now.

When do the 2026/27 seasons start?

The NBL27 season tips off on 19 September 2026\. The WNBL27 season begins on 15 October 2026.

How fast is the WNBL growing?

In the 25/26 season, WNBL attendance rose 43 per cent to nearly 200,000 fans, broadcast reach grew 130 per cent, and social media impressions jumped 380 per cent.

![James Dore](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e4/01/e4017178-c1da-4131-80aa-35f02cb5b999/content/images/2026/09/james-dore.jpg)

[James Dore](https://www.promptthemarket.com/james-dore/)

James Dore is Strategy Director at Bushnote, a leader in SEO and AEO in Australia. He writes on search, AI and the technology decisions shaping government and industry.